With a stop over in Dubai, We arrived in Bangkok late on June 8th. We stayed on Khao San road at a place that Florian had been to before. Arriving first on Khao San is this indescribable feeling because of all of the chaos that surrounds you...it is a combination of excitement, energy, anxiety, intrigue and confusion, oh yes and tiredness from jet lag.
Our first day in Thailand we at this Irish Pub around the corner that had pretty good food, while in Bangkok we ate here everyday for breakfast. It was heaven for me as I consistently has french toast with honey and iced ovaltine to drink! Being in Europe, I have missed good American breakfast!! There was a torrential downpour and parts of Khao San was literally flooded. So not a good sightseeing day, however it was a day well spent as we did "sight-seeing" in a local mall. We shopped a lot, as you can get name branded apparel really cheap and they will even alter it for you right then and there. We ended up seeing Sex in the City this night, as going to the movies in Thailand is an experience as well. Before the movie begins, a short video montage of Thailand's King Rama IX (he has reigned since June 9, 1946, he is the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest-serving monarch in Thai history). Everyone stands and watches the video as a salute to the King, watching a reel of the greatest moments in his life as King I suppose. It was kind of like the pledge of allegiance, with a song in the background, although no one sings really. We also visited Sukhumvit Road, which according to Wiki is the center of modern Bangkok and not only one of the longest roads in Thailand, but one of the longest roads in the world.
We went sightseeing around Bangkok and took the river boat taxis along the Chao Phraya River to get around easier. We went to see the palace in Bangkok, but it was already closed for the day. Afterwards, got hit by another torrential rainstorm (did I mention that it was almost the start of the rainy season in Thailand) and visited a Wat (temple). We also saw the reclining Buddha in a Wat. It is huge, although the way that it is displayed (columns in front) makes it hard to see the entire statue. We also bumped into a Buddhist ceremony going on and it was very interesting to watch. There was maybe about 10 monks you mediate together and a small area for worshippers. The mediation was almost melodious. It felt as though we were invading and not supposed to be there, but the doors were wide open.
Prostitution
So, it is quite apparent from the moment that you land that prostitution is quite legal in Thailand. It is everywhere, especially in Bangkok, but also very prevalent in the smaller cities we visited along the way. It was also not high season, so it was also quite apparent because many women were always hanging around and lingering around the bars and restaurants. If you are a white guy and are into Asians, this is the place to be. White European or American men with a Thai mistress in tow was a common scene. I found this culture to be quite disturbing, but realize the role it play into Thailand's economy, according to wiki "organized sex work in Bangkok alone involves a minimum of many thousands of workers, and possibly in the tens of thousands." On the other hand, prostitution is somewhat legal in Germany as well, however, I think it was more distributing in Thailand because the sex trade is on a much grander scale.
Photos:
1 - Me with the infamous backpacker's backpack
2 - Florian in one of the shopping malls
3 - Riding in a tuk tuk
4 - Me enjoying a wonderful Thai meal
5 - View of the Chao Phraya river
6 - On the ferry boat
7 & 8 - Taking the ferry boat around Bangkok
9 - Temple (Wat) stop
10 - Florian and I at the renowned Oriental Hotel
11 - Another view of the 3-wheeled Tuk Tuk, taxi driver
12 and 13 - Wat pho, Temple of the Reclining Buddha
14, 15, 16 - At a Wat, the colors were so amazing
17 - We came across a Buddhist service that was in session. It was funny during the mediation one of the monks was on his cell phone, ah how times change.
18 - Bangkok chaos, I think we were on the way to the movies
19 - Me on the chaotic Khao San Road
20 - Leaving Bangkok, backpacks in tow, for more adventures around Thailand
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