Logicless Logic

blogging after bangkok.

It felt so long ago when I met Daniel at Changi Airport to depart for Bangkok, Thailand 4 days ago. The poor airline food, the arrival, where the hired vehicle took us to Baiyoke Suite Hotel. Our 1st reaction was "CHAO CHEE BYE!". The entrance to our hotel was nothing more than a flight of steps down to a small lobby. The check-in lobby was at the 5th floor, and the lobbies on each floor looked pretty old and all. But there was no time to complain. We had a city to explore.

Our hotel, being located at the Pratunam area, was pretty accessible to everywhere. But the human traffic in the area made Orchard Road seem deserted. There was basically no space to walk at all. You had to push and shove your way past pretty much everyone. A distance requiring 2 minutes to walk took about 10 minutes. We first went to Platinum and walked around for some, sliding along the slippery floors like people on roller skates. Then we ate dinner like kings at some Tandoor shop, having 2 different curries, naan, beer, rice, tom yam goong, lime soda and rice. At 7.30pm, we met our tour-guide guy to go see the illegal tiger show. It involved women putting stuff in their pussies and pulling them out. And then reality struck. When we entered the place, the women there were all aunties, and had lots of overhanging flesh. The kind of which would prevent any form of sexual arousement. For 20 years. Their pussies were kinda like Doraemon pockets, pulling out stuff ranging from razor blades and ping pong balls to coloured ribbons. As well as using them orifices to smoke, paint and shoot darts. With pussies like that, who needs hands. It was close to 1000baht down the drain to see aunties and their pussies. And they didn't even look interested.


And that was just day 1. The next day, we first went to visit the famous Erawan shrine to see the 4 faced buddha, then the 32m tall Buddha made of Italian gold mosaic. I bought at bottle of holy water, which was later to be confiscated at the airport due to liquid bans. Then we went to the National Stadium area and I bought some 5 jerseys which cost me close to 2000 baht. We took tuk-tuks around the polluted city, many whom tried to rip us off(which of course we didn't take). Transport costs are amazingly cheap in Singapore terms and it might not cost us much, but why should tourists pay more? At night, we went for the mambo caberet show to watch trannies, which are a favourite of James. It once again cost us almost 1000baht because them ah guas ripped us off in the photo taking. Show itself was much more interesting though. Close to 400 baht wasted and money was running low.

The 3rd day was more of walking around to the weekend market at Chatuchak. It was very interesting and I loved the pets section, where little puppies, kittens, squirrels and various other critters were all screaming for your attention. I wish I could bring the whole section home. After that we went to the Jim Thompson Museum, which was at his house down the alley, next to the canal. This was probably the most interesting place we went to. Jim Thompson was the pioneer of tie silk, making it world famous. He was from America but settled down in Thailand after WW2. His house was very interesting, with 2 entrances, from the road and the canal. He also modified the traditional Thai house, which had 6 seperate buildings, joining them together with a corridor so it was easier to get around. He had a divination lot from a fortune teller telling him to be careful at the age of 61 and true enough, in 1967, at the age of 61, he mysteriously disappeared from the face of the earth for reasons unknown to anyone. I would recommend this to anyone visiting Bangkok, and not the above 2 shows. In the evening, there was relaxing tradition Thai massage, which was so relaxing I might have fallen asleep. Ups of the ups. At night, we chionged all the street food. Fried chicken, roti prata, fried other stuff, grilled prawns, grilled random meat on steak. It was the last night and any possible stomach upsets were put aside.

And then, after what seemed so long in the land of smiles, cheap shopping, lawless transport, rip-off tuk-tuk drivers, poor hotels and heavy air pollution, the last day arrived. We went to Panthip Plaza to get electronic items and pirated dvds. And then the time came for us to go to the airport and take and aeroplane back to the land of no chewing gum, heavy fines, high taxes and CPF contributions. At least the air is cleaner.

justin.

PS. There is so much to say and I cannot put it in a coherent manner. This is all just a slip shod put together memory for myself to remember something.

posted by justin @ 11:14 PM