Tales From Bangkok
geb dok mai
July 28, 2001
Well, I managed to make it to Bangkok... I am here and it is a trip!
I guess I should start from the begining...
So I get on the plane in LA business class and all, bagage checked to
Bangkok, with a little plane change in Japan. No big deal... HAH! They
were just kidding! What they meant was that we should all get off the
plane in LA go drink at the bar for a couple hours, then get back on
the plane just in time to miss the connection to Bangkok. They set it
up so that if you were on full fare then you would be routed through
Singapore, but I wasn't so they said "welcome to japan." They told me
I could pick up my lugage downstairs and that the flight the next day
was at 7pm but it was overbooked by 11 people. "Good luck" they said.
So I said thanks and went downstairs. No baggage... in fact they had no
idea where it went . One person guessed it would be in bangkok... that
was left to be seen. Anyway, it was late and Tokyo was 1 1/2 away and
no cheap hotels. I decided to stay in Narita, see the sights, and if I
missed the plane the next day I would go to Tokyo. SO Northwest got me
a room for 50 bucks or 5750 yen at the Narita View hotel. It was nice.
I went down to the Bar and had my first Asahi in a Japanese bar. I
watched the businessmen talk and laugh and then suddenly explode in
wild cheers without any notice. So then I left... and I was walking
around and I wandered into this room which turned out to be a private
karoke lounge. I sat down with this doctor and all his nurses who
proceeded to get me a little drunk. well, drunk enough that I sang "all
you need is love..." I was awful but I think they got a kick out of an
american embarrasing himself totally. I got pictures with the doctor
and the nice nurses. It was really rediculous. I tried to offer them
money for drinking their beer but they would have none of it. it was so
fun. By the end they had me singing YMCA in japanese. heh. Kevin no
know japanese. So I stumbled upstairs and went to bed. Not to shabby
for a first day.
I woke up early so I could go see the town of Narita which by the way
is pretty cool. It is rediculously cleanEveryone is constantly washing
their storefronts. Quite a nice town. So, I am wandering around and I
come upon this emormous (read HUGE but certainly not the biggest)
buddhist temple that was still in use. There was about 250 stairs going
up to it which all of these really old japanese people climbed to go
pray. No handicapped ramps... So first they was their mouths out with
this wierd dirty water, then they climb some stares and throw money at
this altar, and cleanse themselves with lots of burning sage or some
other herb. Then you can go up to the temple. I didn't go in because
there was a ceremony going on, but I watched from the door way. It was
really intense to watch. Indoor fire, drims, gong, chanting. wow.
Then I just wandered around the grounds, saw a bunch of beautiful
architecture, and just sorta watched what everyone did there. It was
really neat to see these people take something so seriously. Too fun
too fun.
Then I walked around the town, got some udon and rice and eel thingy.
Yummy yummy.
It was sorta nice that they lost my luggage so I didn't have to cart it
around. heh.
skip some boring stuff. (just to read about, not to do)
Went to the airport at 5 hoping to go to bangkok and they said that it
didn't look good but to come back at six. SO I did. And I got lucky, so
I got on the plane (in business class again) and went to Bangkok.
Didn't get to see tokyo though. Maybe on the way back...
So I got here at 11:30 pm last night and it was HOT and sticky. So
great. But I didn't know where I was going... I didn't have a hotel
lined up or anything. Oh, they still don't know where my bagage is. And
since I wasn't full fare I have to go back to the airport when they
find it. They said maybe monday. Good thing i like wearing the same
clothes everyday. Anyway. I decided to just choose one of the Hotels
that my friend Thomas from A16 recommended to me, the Sawasdee Inn just
off of Th Khao San. This was a mess. I got there and the rooms were all
full but it is a young tourist area so there was bound to be something.
I wandered around and everything was pretty much full. As I walked
around, I saw a rediculous number of stray dogs, at least I think they
are stray. Wierd. They are EVERYWHERE! So I found a place (I am looking
for a new one today. heh.) it was pretty dismal and almost clean but
hey, beggers can't be choosers. It was only 4 bucks though.
I was woken up by a chicken (rooster) at 7:30. it is now 8:30.
I am going to get some food. I already got this awesome pinapple. This
place is a total mess. There were so many people in the road just
drinking and yeling, sitting in chairs in the street, listening to
music, drinking. Oh shit, I forgot. I encountered my first prostitute.
(EE dock = you whore) it was great, she was walking past me, saw that I
was american (or new) and just latched onto my arm. I literally had to
fight her to stop touching me. I would take her hand of my arm and she
would grab it with the other. blabbling some drunken thai at me. She
was trying to lead me into this dark alley thingy. SO I walked faster,
saying "no. no thanks" quite politely, then she tried to grab my
johnson and I tore her hands off and she got mad and walked away.
Funny. I can see how this will get old really quickly. Anyway.
I should go. I can get IM (instant massenger) if anyone cares.
Take care,
Love from Bangkok.
Kev
I guess I should start from the begining...
So I get on the plane in LA business class and all, bagage checked to
Bangkok, with a little plane change in Japan. No big deal... HAH! They
were just kidding! What they meant was that we should all get off the
plane in LA go drink at the bar for a couple hours, then get back on
the plane just in time to miss the connection to Bangkok. They set it
up so that if you were on full fare then you would be routed through
Singapore, but I wasn't so they said "welcome to japan." They told me
I could pick up my lugage downstairs and that the flight the next day
was at 7pm but it was overbooked by 11 people. "Good luck" they said.
So I said thanks and went downstairs. No baggage... in fact they had no
idea where it went . One person guessed it would be in bangkok... that
was left to be seen. Anyway, it was late and Tokyo was 1 1/2 away and
no cheap hotels. I decided to stay in Narita, see the sights, and if I
missed the plane the next day I would go to Tokyo. SO Northwest got me
a room for 50 bucks or 5750 yen at the Narita View hotel. It was nice.
I went down to the Bar and had my first Asahi in a Japanese bar. I
watched the businessmen talk and laugh and then suddenly explode in
wild cheers without any notice. So then I left... and I was walking
around and I wandered into this room which turned out to be a private
karoke lounge. I sat down with this doctor and all his nurses who
proceeded to get me a little drunk. well, drunk enough that I sang "all
you need is love..." I was awful but I think they got a kick out of an
american embarrasing himself totally. I got pictures with the doctor
and the nice nurses. It was really rediculous. I tried to offer them
money for drinking their beer but they would have none of it. it was so
fun. By the end they had me singing YMCA in japanese. heh. Kevin no
know japanese. So I stumbled upstairs and went to bed. Not to shabby
for a first day.
I woke up early so I could go see the town of Narita which by the way
is pretty cool. It is rediculously cleanEveryone is constantly washing
their storefronts. Quite a nice town. So, I am wandering around and I
come upon this emormous (read HUGE but certainly not the biggest)
buddhist temple that was still in use. There was about 250 stairs going
up to it which all of these really old japanese people climbed to go
pray. No handicapped ramps... So first they was their mouths out with
this wierd dirty water, then they climb some stares and throw money at
this altar, and cleanse themselves with lots of burning sage or some
other herb. Then you can go up to the temple. I didn't go in because
there was a ceremony going on, but I watched from the door way. It was
really intense to watch. Indoor fire, drims, gong, chanting. wow.
Then I just wandered around the grounds, saw a bunch of beautiful
architecture, and just sorta watched what everyone did there. It was
really neat to see these people take something so seriously. Too fun
too fun.
Then I walked around the town, got some udon and rice and eel thingy.
Yummy yummy.
It was sorta nice that they lost my luggage so I didn't have to cart it
around. heh.
skip some boring stuff. (just to read about, not to do)
Went to the airport at 5 hoping to go to bangkok and they said that it
didn't look good but to come back at six. SO I did. And I got lucky, so
I got on the plane (in business class again) and went to Bangkok.
Didn't get to see tokyo though. Maybe on the way back...
So I got here at 11:30 pm last night and it was HOT and sticky. So
great. But I didn't know where I was going... I didn't have a hotel
lined up or anything. Oh, they still don't know where my bagage is. And
since I wasn't full fare I have to go back to the airport when they
find it. They said maybe monday. Good thing i like wearing the same
clothes everyday. Anyway. I decided to just choose one of the Hotels
that my friend Thomas from A16 recommended to me, the Sawasdee Inn just
off of Th Khao San. This was a mess. I got there and the rooms were all
full but it is a young tourist area so there was bound to be something.
I wandered around and everything was pretty much full. As I walked
around, I saw a rediculous number of stray dogs, at least I think they
are stray. Wierd. They are EVERYWHERE! So I found a place (I am looking
for a new one today. heh.) it was pretty dismal and almost clean but
hey, beggers can't be choosers. It was only 4 bucks though.
I was woken up by a chicken (rooster) at 7:30. it is now 8:30.
I am going to get some food. I already got this awesome pinapple. This
place is a total mess. There were so many people in the road just
drinking and yeling, sitting in chairs in the street, listening to
music, drinking. Oh shit, I forgot. I encountered my first prostitute.
(EE dock = you whore) it was great, she was walking past me, saw that I
was american (or new) and just latched onto my arm. I literally had to
fight her to stop touching me. I would take her hand of my arm and she
would grab it with the other. blabbling some drunken thai at me. She
was trying to lead me into this dark alley thingy. SO I walked faster,
saying "no. no thanks" quite politely, then she tried to grab my
johnson and I tore her hands off and she got mad and walked away.
Funny. I can see how this will get old really quickly. Anyway.
I should go. I can get IM (instant massenger) if anyone cares.
Take care,
Love from Bangkok.
Kev