Once we got a little settled in Bangkok, we learned a few things. First, we learned that we could stay in a much nicer hotel than the "Miami" for roughly the same amount of money if all three of us shared a room (this was a godsend, as the irrational "bedbug" fears of mine from the first night vanished almost instantly.) Second, we learned that it would be the King's birthday later that week. Third, we learned that we had accidentally chosen to be in town the week of the "Asian Games" and I decided that it would be a huge shame if we didn't take the opportunity to see at least one event there.

I actually really disliked Bangkok for the first few days. It was HOT, it was filthy and polluted, I was frustrated by the lack of a transportation system other than taxis (terminally clogged by traffic, I later discovered that walking was often faster, provided I had enough bottled water to prevent myself from passing out,) but there was something about it that was starting to really appeal to me despite it all. Part was the architecture, of course - a bizarre mix of Manhattan-style high rises and malls with old and ancient temples and palaces interspersed every few blocks. It felt a little like a huge sprawling version of Las Vegas, combined with some of the slummier parts of New York and with absolutely no zoning laws.

Once I started exploring the place on my own, I started to find that I really liked it there. I couldn't stay out too long on any one stretch because I really don't do so well in intense heat, but exploring the city on foot was utterly fascinating. I was amazed that I could go from a block festooned with Pizza Hut, TGI Friday's, and Gap after Gap after Gap to another block with nothing but tiny little Thai businesses. In a lot of ways, Bangkok was the most American-feeling city I've been to outside this North America, while at the same time feeling far more alien than anywhere else I've ever been. Over the course of the week, I found myself really loving the contradictions, and the feeling that every time I left my hotel I would discover something genuinely different. More to follow...

Chinatown in Bangkok.