A Random Day in Bangkok

One full (and unexpected) day in Bangkok and I am reminded of how much I love this place.

First of all, it's not hard to love any place with 25 degree weather and sunshine. Secondly, I just like the chaos and lack of rules on the road. (That is, provided I'm not a victim of these lack of rules.)



Plus, it's just different. People, cars, scooters, tuk-tuks, and motorcycles are in excess. A lot of the roads are 6 lanes, and the dotted lines that mark the lanes are completely disregarded. Gaudy memorabilia is everywhere- bling bling decorates cell phones, trinkets are dangling from rearview mirrors, and pictures of the king are all over the streets. The vendors sell funny things such as t-shirts that read outrageous things that I can't actually type on here, for fear of my grandmother reading it (a lot of four letter words that start with "F" which are so misplaced, it's clear these Asians have no idea what they are marketing). The traffic puts LA to shame and the language barrier is always a mix of amusing, frustrating, and humorous (such as commenting on the cab driver's ears: "Man, that guy's ears are HUGE!" "Poor guy, he looks like Dumbo." Then we start to giggle at the ears, feeling slightly bad for it, and he sees us laughing and starts laughing with us, so we are all sharing a hearty chuckle and he has no idea that we are laughing at him!)


We travelled the city by tuk-tuk, cab and on foot. There are two options you have when getting trucked around Bangkok: 1. Close your eyes and cross your fingers and say your prayers. 2. Keep your eyes open, tell your travel companion that he/she may have your [insert prized possession here] and sit back and think that getting smucked in Bangkok would be an exciting way to go. For all the close calls it's amazing there aren't carcasses and smashed up vehicles littering the streets.


We mostly just shopped the markets yesterday. Everything is so cheap here. I indulged in fresh fruit from local vendors ($.30) and refreshing coconut milk from the shell ($1.00). Of course I did a bit of shopping. I got a pair of Pumas for $15.00 (authentic, I swear) and a necklace for $.67. I won't bore you with the rest of my purchases, but you get a lot for a little here. The bartering system is fun for a bit, but tiresome after a while.
We got back to the hospital in the early evening (after being stuck in a tuk-tuk for an hour in traffic jams, inhaling the fumes. Man, I'd hate to see the score on an emissions test for those things). I adorned a fresh pair of hospital clothes and ate some Thai hospital food, which was remarkably good. We squeezed on Kev's bed and watched "Blades of Glory", but I could barely keep my eyes open (jet lag had finally hit me, as you probably surmised after seeing that horrible picture of me above). I was sleeping in 1/2 hour. I had a full night of sleep last night, and this morning a hot shower (possibly the last one of the trip) and eggs and bacon for breakfast. All for free!

Being in the hospital is a riot! Only hours from now we take the 21 hour train ride to Laos...

Hospital!

I spent my first night in Asia in a hospital.

Okay, so I am being dramatic, but entirely truthful. My layover in Bangkok en route to Laos was almost 24 hours. By some stroke of fate (I would never call it luck, for reasons which you will soon understand), my brother-in-law Kevin (meet him below- he’s part of my travelling group) has been in a Bangkok hospital for almost 2 weeks. Of course it only makes sense to visit him here.

Being the con artist that he is, coupled with a remarkable capability for getting anything he wants from the Asians who adore him, he decided to take advantage of his hospitalization. He was released from the nice, clean, comfortable hospital on Tuesday, which was paid for by his medical insurance. So he convinced the doctor to let him stay for a few more days, just for a place to crash. Nicer than a hostel, and cheaper too. He comes and goes as he pleases and is guaranteed a clean bed.

“By the way, Doc, my sister-in-law has an overnight layover in Bangkok. Can she crash here too?”

He assured me I would have accommodations.

My cab pulled up to the hospital at 11:30pm and I was a little nervous. Would they let me in? What about visiting hours? My cab door was opened for me by a couple Thai guys; they retrieved my luggage, put it on a luggage rack and escorted me to Kevin’s room. It was like having a personal bellhop! I gave Kevin a hug and complimented his hospital garb.

“Saves me from doing laundry,” was his reply (later I spotted a spare pair and threw it on myself. Hospital wear is comfy!).

I eyed some bottled water on the counter, and he told me to help myself to as much as I wanted. He walked out the room to a linen closet and helped himself to some bedding for me. He told me to use the private shower in his room (which was hot and had pressure- for those of you familiar with Asia, you know this is rare. Especially when you slum it in hostels). So my adventure started with free accommodations in a hospital, having a cozy sleep over with my brother-in-law, and munching on the chocolate his mother weighed me down with. As if that wasn't enough, Kevin ordered double the food for dinner that night and it was quite delicious! What more could a Dutch girl ask for? I’m so into this scheme that I think I could make a full time travel career out of it.

If Kevin is a con artist, Meaghan has been taking lessons from him. Originally we were all going to meet in Laos, but with my long layover and Kevin’s hospitalization, the crew is coming to Bangkok. So I have somehow been swindled to forego my quick connecting flight to Vientiane in lieu of a 21 hour train ride to Laos with the travelling posse, all for the sake of “seeing the countryside” and “the camaraderie of the road trip with your favourite people” (reference: Meaghan, email sent Nov. 29). First wine, then obscenely long train rides...what I won’t do for my sister.

In truth I am so anxious to see them again I could trek to Jerusalem on the back of a freaking donkey and be happy if they were with me. At the risk of sounding dreadfully sappy (my friends who call me a hard ass, take note) I have to admit that amidst all the looming excitement of a trek around Asia, time off work, gallivanting across the world, seeing new things, life changing experiences...right now it all seems so meaningless and insignificant next to my anticipation of seeing Meaghan again. Only one more sleep! Yes, that means another tremendous sleepover in the hospital. Now this is Bangkok on a budget!

Bon Voyage!

The requests for me to resume my blog this time around were overwhelming. It's fun to know that there are people out there who enjoy my self-indulgent and sometimes long-winded recaps of backpacking in foreign countries. I hope I have some good stories this time around. Of course the comments are always appreciated, although the poetry hijacks did get a little out of control last year.

Here I sit in the Detroit airport trying to wrap my head around the fact that I get to travel for fun this time, as opposed to business. I am dangerously close to pulling out the corporate MasterCard to pay for my Starbucks, but remember with a grin that I'm on my own. It's easy to forget; perhaps in part because I'm still pulling my briefcase around, or perhaps because when I get online and check my work email there are 21 unread emails. And this is only 2 hours into my vacation...

I get to the counter and dump my backpack, which feels awfully heavy. I realize why as it sits on the scale: it weighs in at 40lbs. Meaghan went through great lengths to get me to travel light. She even sent an itemized email with what I should be bringing, as detailed as "5 tank tops" and "1 pair of jeans". She assured me that I would thank her for this when we were trekking around in 30 degree weather.

Why is my backpack so heavy, you ask?

Well let's see....Dana requested a jar of kalamata olives and old cheddar cheese. She pulled the "it's my birthday" card. Kevin's mom had to send along cookies and chocolate. I agreed only because I will reap the benefits of these treats.

And Meaghan--yes, the same Meaghan who instructed me to bring only 1 pair of jeans for a month in the sake of "travelling light"-- asked me to bring 2 bottles of wine.

So I'm carting around homebrew wine on my back. My reasons for doing so are only partly selfish (after all, it's no secret that I enjoy my wine). It's because it's Meaghan and I love her to bits and I miss her so much that she could have requested I bring a gold brick and I would have attempted to do so.

All I've got to say is the first night everyone better be hungry and thirsty, because my days of backpacking through Asia with cheese, chocolate, olives and wine are very short lived.

Meet the Gang!

My plane isn't boarding for another hour and I'm trying not to check my work email too much. I thought a bit of an introduction to my travelling companions might be fun, for those of you who care. For those of you who don't, too bad.

Meaghan: My sister 4 years my junior. Fellow lover of Moulin Rouge, red wine, Harry Potter and chocolate. Keeper of my secrets. Brings out the giggly, ridiculous girl in me. Raps and sings with me to outrageous songs and artists from dc Talk to Sister Act soundtracks. Generously shares clothes and jewelry with me. One of my favorite people in the whole wide world. Teaches English as a second language in South Korea. Has spent the last 3 months in Asia as a ulimini from her university as a chaperone for a practical travel university semester. Currently in Myanmar. Meeting up with her on December 1.


Kevin: Meaghan's husband. Loved by Asians. Outragous and impulsive. Likes to laugh and joke around with Asians. Loves to Barter. Fellow lover of motorcycles and technology. Brings out the impulsive in me. Rolls his eyes at Meaghan and I's giggling. Tells me I'm not as funny as I think I am (to which Meaghan disagrees. Always.) Has spent the last 3 months in Asia as a ulimini from him university as a chaperone for a practical travel university semester. Got a serious staph infection in his knee in Bangkok. Been hospitalized for almost 2 weeks. Stuck in Bangkok right now, released from the hospital soon. Going to take advantage of a long layover in Bangkok to visit him in the hospital.

Dana: Honorary sister. Can't remember ever meeting her because I've known her forever. Fellow lover of olives, cheese, chocolate and margaritas. Does a mean impression of Harold Sidler. Will dress up for the opening night of a movie. Always up for an impromptu road trip to see a concert, preferrably if the band members are good looking. Has spent the last 3 months in Asia as a semester for her university. Currently in Myanmar. Meeting up with her on December 1.

Ben: Dana's boyfriend of one year. Love him because he's passed Dana's scrutiny and treats her good. Fun to sing Fall Out Boy songs with. Wears a sexy blue shirt (often). Easy going. Likes to laugh. Has spent the last 3 months in Asia as a semester for his university. Currently in Myanmar. Meeting up with him on December 1.