And while Bangkok is not a city where I'd choose to live (at least not right downtown), it's always a fascinating place to visit. You probably know by now that Margaret did not like Bangkok, and would probably never choose to go back (I haven't told her yet that we have to spend one more night there before we fly home to Salt Lake). And yet, I really enjoy the city.
I saw a lot of the same things she did, and the standard of living was depressing, but the city and its culture are so different from what we're used in the US it's captivating in a way.
First of all, the people were so friendly and helpful. They were constantly smiling at us (it's amazing how far a little Baht will go), constantly asking the boys if one of them would stay with them in Thailand (we almost ended up Nathan-less a couple of times), waving to us on the street, and always trying to speak a little English to us. Then you add in a culture of polite and respectful practices, and you feel very welcomed.
I was also impressed by all the small businesses (some of which were very clever, and some not so clever) that had people working hard throughout the city. There were people cooking, selling, making, providing, etc. all to have a Baht-er experience. Of the many different types of enterprise transportation was my favorite.
We found that the way to travel is by Tuk Tuk. A Tuk Tuk is a motorcycle taxi. It's fast enough to get places, small enough to fit through the tight places (ie in between cars at a stop light), and big enough to carry a group of people. Plus, it can do a pop-a-wheely if you have a good driver. After one ride, all three boys realized it was the best way to travel and begged for the Tuk Tuk. In fact if you look really closely at the picture you'll see the Tuk Tuk lust burning in our eyes. Or maybe that's just what happens when you stay in Bangkok too long--Hmmm?
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