Ringing In 2007
Or
Bangkok’s A Blast

Yes Bangkok again. Quit your whining, this one is short.

Finally made it to my favorite town for the Christmas and New Year celebration. Never mind that being a Buddhist country neither Xmas or the western new year is celebrated. But this is Thailand, so wherever you go, as a touri, you’ll find plenty of Christmas trees, Santa’s, and new year’s festivities. In fact, they did up Xmas much better than London managed to do (quite the let down as I’d expected a Dicken’s Christmas Carol setting . . . in London, that is, not Bangkok).

The weather at this time of the year is incredible! No rain, and temperate temperatures (for SE Asia). First trip I can remember that I didn’t work up a major sweat just walking around - a mental picture you probably didn’t really need!

Some changes: the new airport. Yawn. It’s an airport. Who cares. Of more interest, the weekend market has expanded (kinda) with a whole new area to the back of the original grounds. Wider aisles, less people, and open during the week, too. Getting to it, if you are in the old market area, is a bit of a challenge as there is no major entrance. You duck down the side of some stalls, cross over a barren no-man’s land filled with sewer water and precariously set broken chunks of concrete meant to be a sidewalk. Ah, Asia!

The expanded market, along with having to visit my usual haunts meant I ran out of time shopping on New Year’s Eve Day, and also ran out of energy so rather than cross the road to Center World (the renamed World Trade Center) I finished up blowing my wad at the handicraft center and headed to the BTS for home and a nap.

I met So #1 (formerly known as Lek and now officially known as Nut) for dinner. (Uh, you really got to dig thru the rambling pages to find out the story of the So brothers) He picked. Ended up at a Mexican restaurant. Didn’t quite have the burrito thing down, but a good try in any case. So # 3, who’d I not yet met, joined us. Then off bar hopping and people watching for the night. We ended up in Patpong at one of the bars on Soi 2 at midnight, which, typical Thai time, meant everyone started shouting and kissing each other at about ten after the hour. From there we finished off the night at a street side pub across Suriwong. Which had a TV going. Which everyone was watching. Quietly. Seems earlier that evening there were several bombs detonated around the city. Some people killed, some hurt. The biggest blast was a phone booth next to Graysorn Plaza at about 6 pm. I’d walked past it around 4 on my way to the BTS. Hmmmmmm. Ironic that it was across the street from the place formerly called The World Trade Center that they’d renamed after 9/11

So New Years Day was spent returning phone calls and emails from friends and family who’d heard about the bombings and were concerned.

There’s been a few since, it’s all over the former PM being kicked out and the new one either not being in control or his opposition wanting him to appear to not be in control. Sad. Hope the King gets involved and quiets it all down . . . still one of the most enjoyable cities to visit.

Cruising Tonle Sap
Or
Look Mom, No Hands!

OK, so I’m going straight to hell for that one . . .

Cambodia is filled with undiscovered land mines left over from the war in the 70s (and minor local skirmishes since). They’ve progressed nicely in finding and getting rid of lots, but still most guide books warn you from straying off the beaten path to avoid being blown to pits. Unfortunately the locals don’t read guide books and so you see vast numbers missing appendages. Which has turned into a local cottage industry.

Downtown Siem Reap is filled with amputees selling books about Cambodia from carts they wheel about the streets. On the walk into Ta Prohm, there is a small clearing with a local band made up of land mine victims . . . donations accepted and CD’s for sale (I’d make a joke out of the skill level of the drum players missing arms, but too many of ya’d get pissed). There are dozens of variations of land mine danger T shirts for sale, as well as cups and mouse pads. OK, sometimes they local folk just don’t quite hit the mark in touri offerings.

Which brings us to my journey to Tonle Sap and a river cruise. Tonle Sap is a large lake fed by the Mekong about a half hour outside of Siem Reap. My driver, Juan, suggested going for a cruise as a touri must-do event. As I was watted out, I agreed so off we sped down dusty bumpy roads to the embarkation point; a narrow river meandering through piles of garbage and smelly areas of mud and debris. Quite picturesque!

Juan negotiated a price for the trip up the river with a boatman, and then renegotiated when I suggested he come along. Cost was under $20 for both of us on a boat with seating for about 25 (missing the other 23 passengers). Ten minutes out of the landing, the banks cleared up and waterborn housing appeared. Houses, schools, stores, churches . . . all built on floats tethered to the shore. Nowadays the floating village is mostly made up of families from Viet Nam who fled here after the war. They are allowed to stay, I think, because the Cambodians make money off of taking touri out to see the village. The villagers make money by fishing. For fish and for cash from the visiting touri. As your boat strategically slows at certain spots, the locals come paddling out to you, racing their fellow villagers to sell you refreshments, usually bananas. After the first vendor attack, and in preparation for slowing for the second, via Juan's translation skills, I convinced our boat driver to just keep on going. Disappointment all around.

Ramble On . . .

Mosey On Back . . .

Entrance To The Rabbit Hole . . .

SIGHTS OF:

Bangkok

Tonle Sap