One Final Taxi Story

Preparing to leave my hotel before the crack of dawn (3a.m.) I thought I'd just arrange a taxi. The hotel has a taxi service by the front door that advertises Airport 600Bt. I knew that was more than if I just hailed one or made my own arrangement the night before. Not having used the taxi service all the time I was there it occurred to me that I should give them some business. So the morning before I was to leave I made a reservation and anted up the 600bt. At 3a.m. this morning I exit the hotel with my bags. Two ordinary cars are parked in front of the hotel drivers asleep behind the wheel of each. The doorman awakens one of them, throws my bags in the trunk and we're off to the airport. We've only gone a couple of blocks and the driver puts a CD in the player and not only are treated to the sound but the accompanying video comes up on a screen in front of him. To add to the distractions he's soon chatting on his cell phone. But the traffic was light at that hour and we made it to the airport with no trouble.
The current temperature is minus 8 degrees Fahrenheit the pilot announced as we landed in Minneapolis. Not exactly a warm welcome home. I envied the woman seated next to me from Tokyo. She fell asleep before we took off and did not awaken until ten hours later and never left her seat (11 hours flying time) until we landed. I was about to call 911 on her behalf.
It was a good trip....Joanne asked me to rate it so I gave it a 9...on a scale of 1-10.
My next scheduled bloggable trip is to Paris and Romania in May. This time Joanne will go with me because the temps are more to her liking and I promise to make reservations. We leave May 5, and will be gone about 16 days. I may post a few more reflections on this trip I just completed if something comes to mind. I hope you've enjoyed reading the blogs as I have writing them

So I Enter This Taxi

So I enter this taxi I've flagged on the street and tell him I want to go to the Grand Palace (see pics). Taxi diver, "300Bt". Me, "No, meter". Driver, "200Bt". Me, "No, meter". Driver, "Traffic jam, 200Bt". Me, "No traffic jam, meter." We arrive and the meter reads 67Bt, I give him 100Bt and get out.
As I step out of the taxi at 10:30am a man runs up and says, "Temple closed 'till noon so students can pray, you come with me." Yeah, right if I believe that I'd also buy the Brooklyn Bridge.
I thought I was early enough to beat the crowds at the temple and palace. Wrong. I suppose there could have been more in the afternoon but I don't know where they would have put them. Occasionally I'm asked if I'd lead a tour and my stock answer (which is in jest but not totally false) is that "I don't play well with others." The other reason is that I'd feel obligated to take them to 'the sights' when I most enjoy hanging out in the streets and neighborhoods.
Tomorrow it's home again. Wish I could store up heat. Yesterday was the first day that felt hot to me. Other days have been very pleasant....90 or lower.

There's A Naked Male With A Guitar!

There's a naked male with a guitar running around the e-mail cafe. I'd guess he's two and a son of the mom/pop who run the place. His sister, age 7?, is on the computer next to me doing her homework in Thai.
In my ongoing attempt to feel at home in malls I made a visit to the one a couple of blocks from my hotel. With the exception of the food court it was five floors (see pic) of thing digital. If it wasn't in some way related to digital electronics they didn't sell it.
Oh yes, I was right. Someone did win and someone did lose the Super Bowl and entire affair having the moral relevance of two mules fighting over a turnip! (joke)
Tune in tomorrow for the ongoing saga of Curmudgeon vs taxi driver.......

New Pics

For my latest Bkk pics click on www.picasaweb.google.co.uk/ajnegstad and go to latest Bkk Pics

Bottled Water as Moral Issue

Yesterday the Bkk Post ran an article on bottled water. The essence of the article was that residents of Bkk are buying bottled water unnecessarily because the tap water is pure. Marketers have convinced the rank and file that bottled water is superior. Nestle' is one of the major brands.
It being Sunday, yesterday, I was told that the huge market next to the hotel would be closed. Maybe 100 of 10,000 stalls were closed but the crowd was doubled. The Thai do love to shop. Puts me in a quandary; to bargain or not to bargain? When the initial cost of an item is $2. does it make sense to bargain in down to $1.50?
I awakened this at 7:30a.m. and turned on ESPN. It was the 1st quarter of the Superbowl. Imagine my surprise that the Vikings weren't playing! I thought I'd watch the game but found it boring compared to Bkk street life. I know how the game will end; one team will win and the other team will lose. With only two days left in Bkk I think I'll see if I can find some adventure.

I Saved 2 Dollars

There was a taxi waiting as I stepped off the water taxi by the Oriental Hotel (the hotel that once refused me admittance because I was wearing sandals) yesterday. Taxis by hotels often like to work off meter so they can charge more. I told the drive where I was going and he said, "150Bt (approx $5.)" I said "No". He said "100Bt" and I walked down the street and flagged one down. The meter read 37Bt when I smugly dismounted from the cab at a place I did not want to be. It turned out to be a cheap ride to the wrong place because the driver understood less English than a New York cabbie. Oh, yes, I did get where I wanted to go in the next cab...for 100Bt. Similar to many of my attempts to economize!
The water taxis on the Chayo Praya river are fun. I rode from end to end yesterday just for the fun of it. The cost was about $1. each way. Cheap entertainment.
Stuck in a traffic jam yesterday I wondered how it felt to be a sailor becalmed at sea. In Bkk traffic jams stop, for what seems like forever, then speed ahead at high speed for a few blocks only to come to a complete stop that seems endless. I found a new area on which to work in my quest to be non-anxious.

When In Thailand

The modest hotel, in which I'm staying, has many farang (foreigners) mostly European and Indian. As is common here, they have a two tier price system. My hotel charges foreigners double what Thai pay. the cost is 1000bt for Thai and 2000bt per day, breakfast included, for foreigners which translates to about $35. and $70. respectively. They gave me the Thai rate because I convinced them I was a friend of Thailand. I considered telling them I was a friend of the king but that was a stretch and untrue besides. Haven't encountered any Americans since leaving USA.
Every day I've been going to the same place, because it is cheapest, for my massage...$9. for two hours is money well spent. I ask for the same masseuse who is working hard on her English. Working six days a week, from 9am to 9pm, she uses her day off to take English classes. She's the Thai form of social security. At 34 she is the youngest of three children, unmarried and works to support her parents who live near Chiang Mai.

Ayutthaya Trip Pics

To see my latest pics click on www.picasaweb.google.co.uk/ajnegstad and go to Ayutthaya Trip

On to Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya is a world heritage site and Thai capital for 417 years. Located about an hour north of Bkk it was founded in 1350 by King U-Thong (not to be confused with 21st century thongs) when the Thai were being pushed south by their northern neighbors (largely Khmer (Cambodian)). It was ruled by a succession of 33 kings until it was seized by the Burmese in 1767 and destroyed.
It seems to be a 'must see' on the tourist itinerary so I finally broke down visited the site yesterday. The magnitude of the ruins testify to the grandeur of the city. Unfortunately there are only ruins left. Unlike the area around Seim Reap, Cambodia (Angkor Wat etc.) not much is left standing. There were the obligatory Buddhist temples, one of which, had a 25 ft. high, solid bronze Buddha plated in gold leaf.
There are also current royal palaces in Ayutthaya, two of which I toured. They are set in a beautiful botanical garden with ponds, pagodas, etc. Music composed by the current king was piped across the grounds.
The current king is deeply revered. King bracelets are popular and this morning I saw a t-shirt that proclaimed; ''I LOVE THE KING". He is deeply concerned about the welfare of his people and is quite a Renaissance Man. He is a jazz musician of note. The music piped across the palace grounds was western style and beautiful. He designed a bridge which spans the Chao Praya river in Bkk. (see my picture "King Bridge Bkk") Like English monarchs he reigns but does not rule though apparently does wield political influence when he feels it is necessary.
Thailand is currently being ruled by a military junta after a coup. It is thought that the king supported the coup. The deposed prime minister, Thakasin, was thought to be corrupt, though it did much for the rural poor and thus popular with many. One Thai told me that 25% of the cost of the new airport was graft.
I returned from Ayutthaya by boat down the Chao Praya River. A delightful way to see the sights. Barges are pulled, not pushed, and almost every barge has a family living on it. On one I saw a man washing his dog, on another a woman was mopping her living area, another woman was hanging out her wash. I tried to get some pics.
Miscellaneous scenes: At the Kunming China airport men's room; label on the urinal "American Standard". Bkk street scene; The frenetic Bkk traffic stopped to allow a three foot lizard leisurely cross the street.