DISPENCE

I explored Bangkok for two days. First I checked out Wat Pra Kaew where the Grand Palace is and Wat Pho, home of the famous Reclining Buddha. (Remember, more photos here)

Then I went to Chinatown. In the cab on the way there the driver commented about how there was a lot of traffic because of some Sunday Market. To skip the traffic we took a back way to Chinatown. As we approached the area this Sunday Market was spilling onto the streets so I decided to get out of the cab early.

This market sold everything, but in a different way than the usual “everything” a market might sell. Instead of the standard tourist items, or food, this was a massive open air store – more utility style. Old, probably stolen electronics, tarps, nuts and bolts, clothes, tiny locks, guns, phones, machinery parts, sound systems, again probably stolen, in fact, on my map it says Thieves Market and I’m pretty sure that’s where I found myself.

The narrow street was covered in tarps. Each vendor added their own tarp to the collective shelter. Different colors and qualities overlapped each other letting a soft light through when the sun wasn’t behind giant rain clouds. I bought a sausage on a sick and pushed my way through the crowd. Between vendors on both sides, plus in the middle, there were only two narrow lanes of pedestrian traffic moving at a slow pace. Slow enough to scan everything for sale, fast enough to not get annoyed.

Soon I entered an intersection but it offered no relief to the crowd. In all three directions, ahead, left and right the market continued stuffed with people. I weaved my way around the place for most of the afternoon, examining merchandise that interested me along the way.

I knew the general direction of Chinatown and worked my way to it. I finally got to a main road and some fresh air. Bangkok‘s Chinatown had all the usual markings of Chinese characters. I was glad I could recognize a few. I walked around here into the late afternoon and found a street restaurant where I decided to eat. Instead of just a stand selling food on the street, this place came complete with waitresses and plastic tables lining the sidewalk. I sat down and pointed at the food of the people sitting behind me and ordered that. Ten sticks of meat with spicy peanut sauce and fresh cut cucumbers in sweet and sour sauce. Thailand street food at its best.

After eating I continued checking the place out. I turned down a dark, narrow alley. This one covered by overhangs from buildings on each side. This was the food isle. Fruit, meat and seafood was for sale. Everything fresh. I heard some music coming from a little turn off in the alley and followed it. Off the alley was a small lot before an entrance to a Chinese Wat. Thai boys were playing some sort of volleyball game. Using a net at badminton height and a woven, flexible, bouncy ball, they played some sort of game. One would stand next to the net and set a serve to the back of the court to his teammate who would then hit the ball over the net using his foot. No hands in this game, only feet or head. I watched these guys play for a while. Some could jump high and slam the ball down with their feet. Other hits looked like soccer, jumping with a crooked neck to strike the ball.

The next day I headed for the river. I wanted to see the city from the river but tours were too expensive. Then I found a form of mass transit on the water – a riverboat going the length of the urban river. For 15 baht I bought a ticket and waited for the boat. The boat came roaring up to the dock at full speed. At the last second before hitting the dock, a shipmate jumped out and attached a rope from the boat to the dock. The captain slammed the boat in reverse and brought it to a quick stop. Just like a subway train, passengers hurried off and I jumped on with others onto the boat.

The boat was really like a subway just on the water, long and narrow. Standing room only and adrenalin pumping station stops made for an exciting ride. We zig-zagged across the river to different stations dodging other river traffic. Over filthy, trashed filled water tourist and fishing boats sped.

I got off at the last stop and took the SkyTrain into downtown Bangkok. I explored a mall (nice relief from the 95 degree heat and humidity) and found another market area. Here more touristy stuff and clothes were for sale. But, like Chinatown, I was one of the only foreigners I saw. I always like being in this minority. It really makes me feel like I’m somewhere else.

That night I hopped a bus headed south. An eight hour ride would bring me to the small port city of Chumphon. The drive was overnight. Thai highways are crazy. Instead of the usual running lights you’d see on American highways, trucks here were lit like Christmas trees. Green, blue, yellow and red lights along the tops of cabs and trailers accompanied the usual orange. I don’t know what it is about Thai people but every single truck and most cars were decked out in this psychedelic show of color. It made for a fun ride. I was exhausted after a day exploring and given the difficulty of sleeping on a tight seat on a bus my night passed in a daze of flying colors out the window.

At literally the crack of dawn the bus arrived in Chumphon and I waited for a high speed catamaran. I was headed to Ko Samui. (To be continued…)

This entry was posted on Monday, May 5th, 2008 at 10:53 am and is filed under Thailand. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.