Bangkok with Friends

Kathy Hornbach
August 1, 2004

Showing friends around an exotic town is a major kick


We met the dynamic trio Barbara, Harold and William, at the Business Class lounge at Narita (Tokyo) airport. We’d taken different routes from Boston; we via San Francisco, they Chicago — a longer flight (which Scott prefers) but it wasn’t available at the time we booked. We’re tired, didn’t sleep especially well on the flights; they’re tired but buzzed with excitement — magnified by son William, who is ready to rock and roll. William’s almost always ready to rock and roll…
We need to wait a couple of hours before the Bangkok flight; Scott and Harold make use of the shower facilities. Scott says “Makes me feel like a new man… if only I had a non-stinking shirt to change into afterwards”. Note to self.
OK so now we’re in Bangkok. Let the games begin! Its around midnight and Bangkok’s airport is relatively quiet (I have seen other airports quiet, when flying at odd hours. Bangkok is not one of them). We debate how we’ll manage to get 2 taxis (’cause we’re not all going to fit in one, with our luggage) to the same hotel — none of us know exactly where the hotel is. We get into a mercifully-short taxi rank, bypassing the touts who want to take you in their “special” taxi (unlicensed) and charge 3 times the going rate. If you use the “official” taxi queue, you agree to pay an extra B50 (about $1.25) — in exchange for the taxi driver actually agreeing to use the meter in the taxi. What a concept.

The hotel is located along a major thoroughfare (Sukhumvit Road) and while it would seem trivial to get to the place, it is in just the wrong location. Maybe that’s why its cheap (it’s a lovely hotel, tho, once you get to it). The two taxis go to the nearest corner — the hotel is actually about mid-block — and they pull off at that corner. It’s a gas station or a 7-11. After 30 hours travel, it’s all a bit hazy; the cruel fact is we’re now going to have to schlep our luggage through Bangkok’s streets (ok technically just through a street-market area, and not all that far) so that we can get to the damn hotel, so we can get some SLEEP.
Barbara has been to Bangkok once before, Kathy a few times, Scott dozens. But for William and Harold, this is a totally new experience, and they experience it wide-eyed and with gusto. I’ve learned only after the fact, that Harold tends to be conservative about new experiences that are so foreign (most folks would be); it is a great compliment to hear that he felt comfortable just “going for it”, because of my comfort level.

Highlights:

  • Chinatown — where Chinese New Year was in full swing
  • Snake Farm — cobras milked for their venom (its run by the Red Cross), William enjoys all aspects of the snakes. Barbara… fewer.
  • Bugs — the boys chow down on some deep fried critters. Later, deep fried scorpions are acquired for William’s demanding palette, but they’re thought too old to be fresh enough to eat. Pity.
  • Travel Agent — we head for a travel agency to book some simple tickets. No problem, cept they neglect to tell the airline that they’ve sold us tickets. We have no reservation. We can get from Bangkok to Delhi… but we can’t get to Bangkok
  • Chiang Mai — we visit the new Heifer Thailand headquarters, have lunch and conversation with the staff. And we bought a cow (just seemed like the thing to do at the time).
Copyright(c) 2024 Scott Blessley & Kathy Hornbach
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