Acclimating to the Other Side of the World

Friday, December 23, 2016
Bangkok, Thailand
We met our fellow travelers -- Barbara and Charlotte (B and C) -- the following morning and did a little shopping in the mall next to our hotel. They had traveled to Bangkok the opposite way around the globe, traveling from DC to Frankfurt, and then on to Bangkok. They arrived early on Friday morning, so we had the advantage of a least a few hours in a proper bed. It was fun to shop as it was very quiet early in the morning (the storekeepers always wanted to make a bargain with us as it was the excuse of "the first sale of the day!"). The Thai merchants do like to haggle, so it was fun. Barbara said I was a little rough with them at first, but that comes from those haggling days in Mexico when we have been in Arizona!

Our meal for lunch was salad and sandwich right near the hotel, and then we were all hit so bad by jet lag we had to rest .

Our hotel was right next to the river and we got to watch all the boat activity. Bangkok definitely use its waterways as a form of travel -- after soon experiencing the traffic we would know why! The water is cheap and easy -- the traffic is a nightmare! Tons of it and no place to put it all.

We went out that evening in a cab trying to make our way to a certain restaurant. The traffic was so bad and it was Friday to boot, so we used our phone for an alternative, an Organic Thai restaurant. I had mushroom soup and it was the only bad thing I had on the whole trip. I think there were too many weird veggies. I did let Charlotte try and she told me it was pretty bad -- that it looked like dishwasher! Oh well, at least I had my Thai iced tea. With that “meal” under our belts, we head to the infamous Patpong Night Market. OMG, what an experience!! It is a bunch of Thais selling a lot of knock offs merchandise, and the girls especially had a fun time! You can haggle until you drop and it is row upon row of this “crap” to buy! I wandered off myself to buy some small things and I looked up and realized the merchant was a so-called “ladyboy.”  I know that is not politically correct, but that's what I was told. I had heard about them but wasn’t sure what to expect. They are men who enjoy dressing like ladies and not necessarily sex workers or gay. Some Thais refer to them as the third sex. He was fun to bargain with and I got some good buys. My first Asian experience. On my way back to meet B,C and Anna I was invited to a sex party. After politely declining – yes, I declined -- I told the gang I had had enough of Asia for one night and we hurried back to the Sheraton for a good night’s sleep.

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