Tropical Heat Tour: Thailand Part 14
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Bangkok, Thailand
When I ventured outside this evening, I saw my buddy Rio, who’s also staying at the Nat 2 Guest House, standing in front of 7-Eleven waiting for a bus. By chance, we both boarded number 2; he was heading for the shopping malls around Siam Square and I was going a bit further to the Sukhumvit district. Since we had to sit in snarling traffic for at least 10 minutes at each traffic light, it took over an hour to traverse the three miles, a journey that only takes 10 or 15 minutes late at night. After Rio told the bus driver where I wanted to disembark, because I had never been there before, he jumped off at Siam and I did the same a little bit later at Sukhumvit.
One of the main tourist areas of Bangkok, Sukhumvit is comprised of expensive hotels, restaurants, etc. that are way over the budget of backpackers like me. The main street, Thanon Sukhumvit, is completely packed with stalls selling the usual food, clothing and souvenirs, which makes it difficult to squeeze through the masses of humanity on the sidewalks. Every so often, I passed by beggars–even one with missing limbs–who dragged themselves across the ground while well-healed Thais and tourists stalked above them, sporting snazzy jewelry and toting the latest smartphones.
Various alleys sprouted off the side of the main drag, each one filled with just as much commerce and chaos. Some of them seemed to be semi-themed with restaurants and hotels catering to Muslims, Indians, Chinese, etc. while others beckoned to a more carnal clientele with go-go bars, strip clubs and the like. It’s kind of odd how all of this crazy quilt lo / hi-fi activity plays out under the shadow of huge high-rise buildings housing five-star hotels and businesses. After two or three hours of walking, my feet and legs had enough, so I hopped on a SkyTrain to Siam Square, where I only had to wait 10 minutes for bus number 15, which was weird, as it usually takes an hour that late at night.
Roll over photos for captions.
Words and photos ©2012 Arcane Candy.
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