Bangkok

We've been through heaps of cities over the past five months, some of which we'll return to, others of which we're happy to never visit again. Bangkok belongs to the first group, as it's proved its endless supply of new surprises.

The city is huge, home to some 7.2 million Thais, so we've been able to explore only the Banglamphu region west of downtown. This area is dotted by sparkling new temples and national museums, all surrounded by a wide curve in the Chaophaya river.



Our first tourist stop in Banglamphu was the Royal Palace, home to a gorgeous array of spires and figures covered in glass mosaic. The sheer enormity of the palace grounds made up for the crowds, and we had an excellent time until hunger and jet lag got the best of us.



Other great temples were to be found at Wat Pho, which houses the ornately decorated Reclining Buddha. There's a massage school on the temple grounds, and although we never visited it, we frequented a massage shop near our home away from home, Pra Arthit Mansion. This place boasted comfortable beds instead of the unsupportive foam we became used to, and had an attached restaurant that became our way to start the day. It truly was, as they say on their business card, "The new definition in your life... the center of the city which will make your life happy all the moment that you expect." Whatever that means.



Also near our hotel was the infamous Khao San Road, a 24 hour circus of scene-seeking backpackers and the army of merchants who sell them all the cheap, fashionable, and ethnic trash they can fit in their bags, sometimes at four or more times the going rate. Although we hoped it was going to be a great place to meet other travelers, it comes off feeling like a party of awkward strangers wanting to fit into the scene in their Diesel, Von Dutch, and Puma knock-offs. We thought it was kind of lame, which may say more about us than Khao San Road.



Meanwhile, the Chaophraya river has a life of its own outside of the tourists track. Sure, tourists like us zip across the waves on longtail boats, which are little more than a long wooden skiff propeled by a handheld, steroid-enhanced motor. (They make some wicked roostertails.) Yet tourists make up an insignificant part of the traffic compared with the commuters who travel to work or school by water, avoiding the notorious traffic in town. One can also see the businesses that ply their trade on the river: laundries "cleaning" clothes in the river's questionable waters, fishermen selling their catch at waterside homes, and lunch ladies paddling to shore with pots of steaming food. The river is alive with activity, and happens to be a great way to see some beautiful sights.



Some other interesting parts of the city lie at its center. Joggers and Tai Chi practicioners exercise in the giant Lumphini Park, following paths that weave knots around the park's trees and lakes. The Skytrain system transports people quickly over traffic with the miracle of monorail travel. At night, the Patpong red light district teems with tourists gawking at the flesh-seekers and the businesses they patronize.

One of the better attractions of the city center was the Red Cross snake farm, which raises snakes to provide venom for anti-venom production. We went to the facility, somehow called the "Shake Farm" on the ticket, and had fun watching the handlers interact with the snakes. Of course, the crowd had the opportunity to wrap themselves in the non-venomous variety, leading to no end of photographs.