Wednesday, December 31 - Happy New Year's Eve!

I'm still so high on Bangkok and Buddhism and Pad Thai, help me..

When you smile at the monks, they smile back in a way that feels alien to most Westerners. So open and unguarded, it disarms.

The hands-up gesture means "Stop Fighting."

I am converting.

Happy trees! Think Dr Suess might have visited Bangkok?
 

Big 80s hair on the mannequins--gimme all your lovin, all your hugs and kisses too...

A blind singer at Chatuchak Market. Awe, he was so good!

Clarification: Since many of you had questions regarding the above pictured enterprise, I feel I must clarify. No, it is not the kind of place that specializes in cat soufflé or cat mignon. No, my innocent little darlings, it is the kind of place that specializes in P-U-Know-What! That’s right, in lesser quarters it would go by the name of, um, ho-house I guess, and not the place where Santa makes the toys. Here’s how it works! You go into one of the aforementioned bars, which line the streets of the Patpong district, you take a seat at the bar and an endless stream of flawlessly beautiful, maybe 17-year-olds parade down a catwalk wearing nothing but teeny white bikinis. They bump and bop and look really bored for the most part. If you are one of the washed up, middle-aged, paunchy alcoholic expats with bad British teeth at the bar, a chipper soldier on leave, or a perverted Japanese business man, you take note of the number attached to the bikini of the girl you like. When her set is up, you pass word to a matronly matron that you’d like to get to know #21 a little better. Lo and behold, #21 shows up and if you’ve got the cash, she’s got the time. If you don’t have the cash, she still asks for a tip just for the pleasure of talking to her. How do I know all this you’re wondering? We, like other tourists, had a beer at one of these places and took in the spectacle. It’s all pretty out in the open, and Patpong is full of tourists with their kids. It’s not a place that was founded by Puritans that’s for sure. I left Bruce alone for one minute and the girls were on him like white on rice. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a big smile on his face. But I was carrying his wallet, of course.
 

Monday, December 29

Magnificent Bangkok!

Forget your preconceived notions about Bangkok, probably based on the silly 80s song "One Night in Bangkok." I was expecting steam and sleaze, but was unprepared for the sheer glow of the place--teeming with life, gilded temples, flowers and foodstuffs, sensuality and the kindest, most welcoming people I have ever encountered anywhere. Intoxicating.

A view of the Grand Palace.

The Reclining Buddha at Wat Po. It's HUGE!

A model of Angor Wat, on the grounds of Wat Po.

Schoolgirls walking along a line of Tuk Tuks, Bangkok's omnipresent pedicabs.

The sweetest Tuk Tuk driver in Bangkok, taking a break from the heat. The Thais are the nicest people on earth! No wonder Thailand is called the Land of Smiles.

No petting the elephants. I was hoping to see a real one, they are known to roam the streets.

A pretty face at the market. Imagine what you know of markets and multiply it by 100. That is Chatuchak Market. It's full of amazing handicrafts from all over Southeast Asia as well as music and fresh foods. You can wander it for days and still only scratch the surface.

Me and my veggie Pad Thai.

Spirit houses like this one are found on every property in Thailand, even gas stations have them. They are thought to house the spirits of the dead, and every day they receive fresh offerings of flowers. This one is located at Jim Thompson's house, a famous American expat who saved the Thai silk insdustry and then mysteriously vanished into the jungles of Malaysia.

A very, very old woman selling flowers at Patpong Market. Yes, we bought some.

There are other things to be bought in Patpong...conveniently located near an ATM machine. We were approached by several enterprising young men offering us menus that consisted of a myriad of pussy dishes, most notably "pussy ping pong" and "smoking pussy." A local delicacy I guess...

Our absolutely insane Tuk Tuk driver, who seemed to delight in my panicked shrieks from the back seat as he zigzagged us around the night time traffic.

Fortunately, we had a luxurious oasis to go home to. The Sukhothai is the only place to stay in Bangkok. They saw to our every need.

They even had nightly goodies for us including this bowl of dragon eyes and truffles. This is Bruce pre-truffle.

And this is Bruce post-truffle...mmmmmmm