Transitioning from Alice Springs, Australia to Bangkok, Thailand is like going from Seneca, KS to New York City...if it was on Mars. Nine million people live in Bangkok and it often feels like all of them are on the same street as you. And in all my previous travels, either English was widely known (though the French pretend otherwise) or I knew enough Spanish to get by. Here, not so much. Needless to say, my one day in Bangkok would be interesting.
Regardless, I kept to my general, first day in a city m.o. of wandering around, largely plan-less, getting the lay of the land. Easier said than done in Bangkok. Crazy hard to orient yourself, street signs in Thai, and it seemed as if, much like Baltimore, the young hoppers be changing them around to confuse the police (or me). The map makers seem to have Attention (to detail) Deficit Disorder as well. Five minutes out the door, I had to check my map again, signaling myself even louder as a tourist mope. Seemingly friendly tuk-tuk guys offered help and a ride, if I stopped at all their friends' gem and tailor stores, presumably for me to partner up and sell stuff back in the states. AKA, the gem scam! Oh boy, I just read about this! And they tried to get me five minutes out the door! Classic.
Politely brushed them off and maintained my goal of finding the main temple zone. If I was lost, I'd just walk myself out of it, dangit. But even crossing a street is like so much Frogger here. I tend to find an upstream pedestrian blocker and go, knowing their hip meeting a bumper would slow my potential annihilator.
Finally I found the canal and hopped in a local boat. Chicago River has nothing on this, falling in would equal instant mutation into the Swamp Thing. Dropped close enough, I walked to the stunning Royal Palace complex. Gold and jewels adorned temples and statues everywhere. It was the first of many, but an impressive temple to start on.
From there I would head to the train station. As I wandered, I wondered if enough people existed on Earth to even buy all the plastic trinkets, clothes, stereo parts, and every other item you can imagine being peddled as far as the eye could see. And the cornucopia of smells mingling from food stalls, motobike exhausts, and Old Spice-less armpits got to the point where my nostrils raised the white flag, simply overwhelmed.
As the sun set, I discovered the train station. Sadly, all trains to Chiang Mai the next day were booked. As I walked toward "Information", singing came over the loud speaker and everyone stopped. It was my first, awkward taste of the King's anthem. As it ended, the green light to move again was confirmed and I was directed to local bus 29 to drop me back at my hostel. It quickly filled to the brim, to the point I couldn't see out the window to locate my stop. Shit. Turns out though, "Info" failed their one job. I saw skyscrapers to my distant right I recognized from my neighborhood. We turned left. Sigh. Got off at the Skytrain and finally found my way back, too sweaty and exhausted to even go out. Lame, I know. Should be titled one day in Bangkok, but that's not a song now is it? I shall return and if stories require it, will update this post!
After a solid 10 minutes staring dumbfoundedly at the gibberish signs at the bus station, I finally found the recommended VIP bus stall, and bought a ticket for the night one to Chiang Mai.
All in the game!
ReplyDelete