Bangkok is hot. If you walk around all day, as I do, you're sweaty the whole time. Sometimes the heat balloon is pierced by the strong 'air-con' needle of 7-Eleven, known here only as 'Seven', where the bottled water is cheapest. The feeling is bittersweet, of course, because in seconds you're back in the heat. It's not unbearable, just hot.
I told you that so I could tell you this: the shower at the end of the night is absolutely euphoric. The shower comes on in one temperature: perfect. It is that temperature in the swimming pool that is a touch chilly on a very hot day but you're used to it after 15 seconds and then it works to cool your body over the next half hour, which is roughly how long I stayed in last night. (I have no cell phone or watch)(I had to do a bit of laundry in there)
Yesterday was cool. The Weekend Market which I think I mentioned yesterday was terrific. We only scratched the cellophane over the surface of what was there. You could simply walk every aisle without stopping from 8am to 6pm and you still wouldn't wakl past everything. I got in some nice photography at the market. The young lady in this photo is a lot happier than she lets on, and after she couldn't thank me enough for photographing her. I think the shirt has something to do with a popular rock band from the USA; read carefully, maybe she got the singular version misprint only available in Thailand. This country is so sweet. Smiling is the source. Every smile is returned.
After the market we strolled over to very serene park where I encountered this scene. None of these photos are getting any of the touchups I like to sometimes provide. The lesson here is to shoot in the golden hour before sunset. I think you can click the images for a bigger version, not sure. Soon after this we stopped for a snack from a cart. I had 4 chicken wings. Dan had the same plus some undrinkable mystery juice. There are a very reasonable number of stray dogs here and they're all very calm, some appear braindead. As we finished up, one sidled up but kept good distance. Dan tossed it a chicken wing bone which it proceeded to chew(barely) and swallow in about 12 seconds. Is this a normal dog thing to do? I felt bad but Dan gave 2 dogs 3 bones each and there was nothing left over on the ground. It hurt to watch.
I dragged Dan's hungover ass out to the market, to which we arrived by the excellent Skytrain. Here he is with our new blind buddy, Doc. Definetely enlarge this one.
I'm saving the best pictures for when I come back, sorry. It doesn't feel right to put them up here. Hey Schaler, how come you don't have this lens yet?
Today I took the water taxi down to somewhere and walked around. I found a dingy indoor market and made friends with a family who was cutting up ginger. I tried some ginger which was handed to me then gave the kids a couple of the pictures I had made of myself. This worked better than I had hoped. The mom took one of the pics and tucked it away into her wallet. I took a bunch of pictures, they said some stuff I didn't understand, I said some stuff they didn't understand, and I was off.
Alright, I could sit here in the air-con for a while, but that would be dumb. I'm jonesin' for some curry and some street meat and I won't have to go very far for it. I would've made this post about 30 minutes ago, but I got on a ferry instead of the actual water taxi and I had to wait a while. No big deal, I've wasted 20 minutes in plenty of worse places.
Mom: I'll look for some shoes for you in a couple months.
If you've been on the fence about coming to Thailand, do it.
1 comment:
nah man, thats def anthony kiedis's solo project, or her relatively ingenious way of advertising the specials. Are those ears of corn or huge ass bananas? I think its in poor taste for that blind man's friends to convince him that everyone in town is wearing americana shades and human rib necklaces. alright g-dspeed.
Post a Comment