While bopping around the city we began to notice a tremendous number of people in yellow shirts. It turns out that the King of Thailand is celebrating his 60th year on the throne (the longest reign of any known monarch) and his fiefdom are just plain crazy about him. The shirts were just part of the commemoration, as were the murals covering the sides of buildings, spontaneous flower arrangements through out the city, and signage on every conceivable surface. We met a couple of army recruits and we were very surprised at how sweet they were. Most newbies that I've run across in the States seem to carry their killer instincts everywhere they go. Another lovely characteristic of the Thai's is that they constantly wai to each other in almost every situation...even the american imports have learned the custom.

Another interesting aspect of Bangkok is that the city really doesn't get going until after 7pm. Most street vendors don't even bother setting up until around 5 or 6pm. But when the sun goes down the entire city electrifies. The night markets, restaurants, bars, and of course, the sex shows get all get swarmed. The area we stayed in was gentrified and very nice, but the Pathpong (pronounced Patpong), or the old red light district, was about 3 blocks away. We renamed the district "Ping-Pong" and those who have been will understand why. A couple of the nights we sat in outdoor bars trying to guess which of the passing westerners was going to get the surprise of his life when his little "purchase" turned out to have a "gift with purchase" that he didn't bargain for. Yes, the legends are true, there are many very convincing transvestites working the streets cajoling unsuspecting farang's to their ultimate undoing.

Another important note: unlike India, one can find many a' watering hole in which to get premium and not so premium hooch. I certainly don't live to drink, but every now and then it's nice to hit the suds. I was able to enjoy a frothy Guinness in Bangkok for $3 which was much unlike the $15 Guinness I choked down in Mumbai ­- a truely gruesome event!

We had 2 nights with our friends Greg and Susan as they passed through Bangkok on the way to Bhutan. They, in turn, introduced us to their friends, Jonathon and Noom who gave us the local tour. At 65 floors up, the Dome, the worlds highest outdoor bar was the first stop, then to the traditional teak architecture of the Lemongrass Grill for traditional Northern Thai food then to The Coliseum to disco dance the night away – or so we thought. The Thai disco's are more like variety shows where everybody perches on stools while enjoying overpriced cocktails as cover bands perform, comedians amuse, lady-boys banter with the audience and music videos shimmer on gargantuan screens.

The next day we started at The Snake Farm, a branch of the Thai hospital system that focuses on producing one of the world's largest supplies of anti-venom. One of their fundraising techniques is to do a live educational ophidian display. We were the first there so instead of taking the Buddhist approach of heading to the back row so others could see we raced to the front center...karma is a funny thing. The first serpent they brought out was a King Cobra, but before his royal appearance they pleaded with the people in the front row to please, please be very still because there were no fences or glass and the snakes were to be viewed in very close proximity. The snake was big, long, fast, and frighteningly ill-tempered. As soon as his highness hit the floor the guy next to me started wiggling his leg which incidentally is the very same movement the handlers use to keep the snakes focused. Just like a shark (see Jaws reference in the Haridwar section) you never know where black eyes are staring, so I could only assume he was ogling me. Next, my neighbor decided to stand up to pull out his camera. I don't know how good snake vision is, or how accurate their aim is, and I don't give a damn...the guy next to me had to stop his idiocy! In a whispering scream I commanded the guy to stop moving and he froze, the handler smiled, and I was able to resume my profuse nerve-racked sweating in peace. The other snakes may have been more venomous, or prettier, but after the big guy left the rest of the show was a breeze. Notice in the first shot how big the snakes mouth is then notice in the 3rd shot that the handler doesn't have an index finger...snake math...5 digits plus one really big and hungery snake equals 4 digits.

Then we bopped to a supergroovy mega boutique called the Playground, then to a bar to shoot a couple of games of billiards. After fooling around for a while we decided to hit Lumpinee Stadium for some Thai Boxing. Mauy Thai is loosely related to western boxing except the Siamese crank up the combat even more by using their legs to aid in the pulverization of their opponents. By legs I mean toes, heels, shins, knees, and outer thighs - I never knew there were so many different weapons on one limb (it's like a having Swiss Army leg)! Part of a fighter's training in the old days was to kick a banana tree for hours on end. Now I think they just rent the guys out to flatten small buildings. At the beginning of each bout, the fighters do an elaborate prayer ceremony in which they pray to the gods as well as curse their opponent. The event is brought to a fever pitch by a live band that keeps a fanatical pace with the action provoking the bets to fly a little higher, the blood to spurt a little further, and the ear-splitting screams from the crowd to spill into the street to fight with the blaring horns of the night traffic.

Also, since we began our adventures 5 months ago I have developed a real fond affection for the BBC News theme song. When I hear the first few bars it warms the cockles of my heart just knowing that I'm back in civilization.

PMB 3/9/06