Journey to Bangkok

Sunrise at 38,000 feet

After an 18 hour non-stop flight from Los Angeles we watched the sunrise at 38,000 over Bangkok, Thailand. The plane spiraled down into the thick, humid, polluted soup that passes for air in Bangkok. The traffic jammed ride into the city took over an hour which gave us plenty of time to suck up the fumes from millions of cars, trucks and buses. We arrived at our hotel to find daughter Kate and her boyfriend who had arrived the day before. We dropped our bags and took off at a rapid pace to visit the standing Buddha, a 60’ tall gilded statue.

Size 462 ZZZ

The ancient Kingdom of Siam is in a headlong collision course with the modern world. Two hundred year old temples are juxtaposed against modern skyscrapers of the most radical design. Orange robed monks mingle with the other 10 million residents of this exploding metropolis. Everyone seems young and moves with a sense of purpose and destination.

The streets are a swirling mass of cars, trucks and buses that move without concern for normal rules of the road. Curiously absent is the road rage that is so evident in our society. Vehicles swerve crazily, tailgating, and cutting each other off, yet no one seems upset by these curious rules of the road. The only discernible rule is thatthe bigger the vehicle the more apparent entitlement to the right of way. Traffic lights are obeyed but not much else seems to matter. Crossing the street requires finding the rhythm of the traffic, a strong heart, and some rapid footwork.

Despite the swirling chaos, there are many opportunities to escape the madness of the streets in beautiful well manicured parks or by entering one of the many temple complexes called wats. Visiting the wats takes one to a calmer time and place. The chanting of the monks seems to say, “Release yourself to the void. This is only temporal and the real world lies in the next incarnation on the way to nirvana.”

Bangkok has often been called the Venice of the east. Located on the Chao Phraya river it is interlaced with a series of canals which used to be the main highways of transportation. In most cases the water is still the quickest way to get around the city on ferries and express boats unless you are close to the Skytrain which is an elevated light rail system that whisks you above the traffic in the most modern air condition comfort.

Bangkok assaults your senses. The most pleasant assault is on the palate. You can literally eat your way around the city with street food vendors on virtually every sidewalk, corner and alley and restaurants in between. All of the food is really good and with a little attention to where and what you are eating it is generally safe to eat. On the street you can get a filling tasty meal with a large bottle of beer for less than three bucks. Skip the beer and you can eat for under a dollar. Restaurants range from slightly more expensive than street food to whatever your wallet can stand.

At times Bangkok can be magical. The other night we took a sunset walk along one of the elevated walkways. Through the maze of skyscrapers a few palms were silhouetted against a deep pink sky. We were near the Victory Monument which is a giant obelisk like the Washington monument centered in a traffic circle. Around this circle are numerous tall buildings with giant neon and lcd billboards. Exotic Asian music blared over the crowds of Thais rushing here and there like little ants. The smell of auto exhaust mingled with the smells hundreds of street food vendors. The roar of the traffic was supplemented by the buzzing conversation of thousands of chattering people in the streets. The light of the setting sun gave the scene a surreal quality straight out of the movie Bladerunner.

Nightime in Bangkok

Watch for the Hong Kong post. Meanwhile we are now traveling with son Ian and his girlfriend Tiara. If you would like to see some really amusing stuff check out www.tiaragrayson.blogspot.com.