Decisions, decisions

Today is Day 4 in Bangkok. I wish I could say it’s as easy as pie to shift from one culture to another, but it isn’t really. Whereas in India, Delhi in particular, you have to be wary of anything anybody tells you, that seems to be less so the case here in Bangkok. Basically you try to avoid using tourist agencies in Delhi because they will scam you by overcharging and selling you a tour you probably don’t want. So I had been avoiding using any such services here, but today I gave in. I was tired of that going-around-in-circles feeling and wanted to actually get somewhere I wanted to go. So I booked a tour of the floating markets for tomorrow morning, which I’m super excited about, continuing the food theme of course. I also booked an overnight train ticket to Trang leaving tomorrow night. So I will arrive on Friday morning and make my way to Ko Libong, one of the lesser known islands in the south of Thailand. This isn’t one you see advertised on all the agency doors here, like Phuket or Ko Samui, which is exactly what I want. The place I’m planning to stay is actually environmentally conscious, which is more than can be said for most of Thailand’s island resorts. Although Thailand is blessed with natural beauty, it has been highly overdeveloped. So going this route makes me feel a little better about participating in island life here.

Another thing that I’m having to adjust to is the prices here. The food is incredibly cheap, especially if you go with street food, which frankly is the best. But the accommodations are not. The last place I paid for a room in India I was paying $4 a night. Here in Bangkok I’m paying $16 a night, and on the island I will likely be paying about $25 a night. Granted, it is high season and this is still a steal by American standards, but as I am living off of savings, I am pretty conscious of my spending. Ah, to be independently wealthy…

I finally broke down today and bought one of those counterfeit iPods here. It may look like an iPod from the outside, but it does not function like one. The software is crap, but for under $50 with 12 albums’ worth of tunes, I can’t complain. Now I’ll be able to tune out the outside world when I need to. Choosing the ten free albums that came with it was a challenge, hence the extra two. Even at that you were kind of going in blind at times since many of the tracks don't have titles. So it will be a little bit like Christmas with certain artists as I’m not sure which tunes I got. I’m considering adding a TV show or movie as well. Oh the shame.


As I was waiting for my illegal music to transfer to my illegal iPod, I noticed this dog on the table in front of me. There are a lot of handheld dogs here; this one was enjoying a snack and cooling off his nether regions at the same time.


These tall pointy structures are all over Bangkok, marking the sight of a wat, or temple, all of them gilded. Many of the temples are actually functioning, in that monks live there, some with lush gardens and a generally peaceful vibe. Of course, it’s Buddhism, how else would it be?


Close-up of a statue on one of the temple grounds.

I am making great efforts to photograph something other than food to share with you… I still think the food is the most interesting, though!