Bangkok, Thailand

FOUR NIGHTS IN BANGKOK!

The giant billboards welcomed us to the capital of Thailand as the eerily empty highway brought us closer towards the Silom District. After a 14 hour flight, 5 hour layover then another 4 hour flight we had arrived in Bangkok at 3:30 a.m. on a silent Saturday morning. We came for the culture shock, the street food and the energy but we would leave with much more. Over the course of the next few days, it became apparent to both of us, there was more to Bangkok than Murray Head could ever sing about.

The façade of this bustling city displays itself kindly and quietly. The rising sun welcomes commuters from across the Chao Phraya entering a race against time. Sometimes what you notice most about a new place is that you don't notice what you're used to noticing. Cars, scooters and tuk-tuks all narrowly escaping collision in perfect harmony, bewilders my comprehension. What's more, is that this dance of transportation all takes place without a honk, a horn or a finger. The ebb and flow of Bangkok traffic, seen through the cloud of exhaust fumes, is slowed only by the falling rain or the whistle blowing traffic control officers sporadically placed around town as a last ditch effort to keep the city from screeching to a halt.

Leaving the Triple Two Silom just before noon we hit the town on foot, as we usually do, not only because it's cheaper but because the city speaks differently to those who choose to walk upon her streets. All five senses indulge in massive reception of foreign influence. Some, like the sights of an ancient smile from an elderly food vendor are welcoming. Others, like the toe stubbing uneven sidewalks are not. But they all are experienced for they are. Our first walk brought us to couple of chairs literally hanging over the Chao Phraya river at a place called Jack's Bar. Jack's is located adjacent to a public dock used by locals and water taxi's. As the longboats came and went, Alisa and I mapped out our next couple of days over a few Changs. (Pronounced Chon)

We planned on exploring the temples, hitting the markets and meeting up with one of Alisa's childhood friends who married a Thai woman and was visiting her family for the summer.

After a few Chang's we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up. We previously saw a bar called Whisgars- Whiskey-Cigars that peaked my interest.

An hour later we headed out, thirsty and ready for a fine Cuban and a taste of good whiskey. At 7:00 p.m. it seemed strange to find the place empty of patrons. Two friendly employees explained the owner had recently decided to remove all the cigars but one, an off-branded cigar to another Whisgars across town as this location was not being frequented by the business clientele any longer. After a depressing tour of empty cedar boxes of Montecristo's, Cohiba's and Romeo's through the walk in humidor, I declined the $30 offer of the stick they referred to as "OK" and asked if I could just smoke my own. They agreed, we ordered some single malt and were ushered into the seating area filled with plush leather couches and hand-crafted wooded tables. After lighting my cigar, I was informed there would be a lighting fee of 300 Baht, roughly $9.00 USD for lighting my own cigar. The fee was later dropped kindly by the manager as an apology for not having cigars in a cigar bar. How kind. As I slowly sipped my Glenfiddich 18, I could only imagine the shady stuff being conducted behind the scenes of this "bar."

The façade of Bangkok had been lifted, the mask removed revealed an establishment which reflected the true nature of a city built for beauty, but geared for greed. This was not the case for all of Bangkok, nor even most. The restaurants we soon gravitated toward increasingly consisted of staff who understood less and less English. The true character of the people running the side shops, the cooks at the corner cafe's and the sleeping tuk-tuk drivers reflected a side of Bangkok that wasn't polished, perfected and rated, it was just plain real. Unfortunately the real Bangkok smells real, well real..... let's just say different.

By looking closely, and usually just behind what is presented, one can experience the city differently than most tourist do. Sure, foreigners pay more to visit temples, there's no way around that one. But if you're curious and walk down that alley at 4:00 a.m. even when everything in you tells you not to, you'll see the vendors preparing for the day, heating oil and wrapping exotic foods. You'll hear the early prayers being hummed inside the temples. You'll smell the city after the rain has washed away yesterday's struggles and maybe, just maybe, you'll feel the love and warmth of the Thai people not as a tourist but as a human in search of wonder.