Bangkok, Day 2

I spent yesterday just wandering around the area of town where I am staying, getting used to all the little alleys in the area which pass as roads. (I am sure the three people sewing leather purses together near where I'm staying started keeping count how many times I passed them after about the 5th time.)

Today I got out a bit more. Well, first I had a good old-fashioned lie-in. After getting up at 6 am every day for a month, I slept until 9:30. Yes, that would be 12 hours of sleep, as I went to bed quite early. It was a good sleep, but I can't say that the beds here are comfortable. Both in the first guest house where I had the nap yesterday, and this place, the 'mattress' really is more of a box-spring with a mattress pad atop. I am pretty sure I dreamed last night of finding a Linens 'n Things here and buying one of those foam egg crate mattress covers. (A girl can dream...)

I met my aunt's friend for lunch. There was some confusion as to whether we were meeting inside or outside the hotel which she suggested. She was sitting in the nicely air-conditioned lobby, and I was dutifully waiting for her to pull up outside. Oh well! Eventually we found each other, and off we set. She suggested giving me a little driving tour of Bangkok, which I happily accepted. She said that one needs to drive defensively in this city... Well, the OTHERS do when driving near her! She plunked herself right in the middle of two lanes, and pretty much swerved whenever a car or motorbike was anywhere near her. I had to close my eyes a couple of times, but we made it out alive. She suggested stopping at her Sports Club (The Royal Bangkok Sports Club... oldest in the city and quite colonial, even though Bangkok was never colonized) for a drink first. I accepted, even though I had not actually had anything to eat yet. Nothing like a glass of wine on the empty stomach of a girl who doesn't really drink!

The drink was fine (and I didn't fall over when leaving the table), and she took me off for a 'proper' lunch (read: not Thai... I had arugula salad, beef bourgoinnone (however you spell that) and a brownie). She was perfectly lovely, and it was nice to chat with her and find out about the mess that was going on here the last few weeks. She dropped me off at the Sky Train, so I could experience that as a route home.

From there I decided to walk back to my guest house. It was probably about two miles, which I did all on the big streets (not trusting the little streets or my map). There were a couple of streets which I had to cross (with crosswalks but no crossing signals), where I said to myself, "How the [expletive deleted] am I supposed to cross this [expletive deleted]??" Once or twice I did have to lean back so my nose didn't get clipped by a passing truck. My favorite, though, was the crosswalk which went half way across the street and then stopped. Okay, whatever!

When I got back to the guest house, I walked the 68 paces (turn right out of the door, turn right at the corner, and it's the first entrance you come across) to the massage place. Yes, I went there yesterday and I went back today. Best damn $6 a day (including tip!) that I've ever spent. I had a Thai massage yesterday, and an oil massage today, and I can now conclusively say that I prefer Thai massage. (Yes, the little woman was actually standing on me at one point, and it was awesome!) I am seriously considering moving to this country, or else smuggling Ayma (my new best friend, replacing the blind woman from my dance class who thought I was 18) into my backpack and around the world with me! (I think tomorrow I might get a facial...)

One random observation for you from my wanderings through this tourist mecca last night. There is absolutely nothing more pathetic than a balding man (buff though he may be) getting corn rows.

Until later!