Bangkok

Recharging
My Batteries

After traveling and seeing the world for several solid months my battery packs were just about completely drained. Seeing, doing, and experiencing new things every day for months on end wears you down over time. It takes a lot of energy to absorb and adapt to the new cultures, environments, and people you encounter. The more foreign the place the more taxing it is to figure it out. Simple everyday tasks like eating, drinking, getting cash, public transport, finding shelter, and just surviving become large endeavors. Traveling, it turns out, is a very mentally and physically demanding undertaking, unlike vacationing which is an escape from mental and physical demands.

When Mike and I arrived in Bangkok it was instantly easier than any destination before it. All because we had a friend who called it home who could help us come in for a soft landing in Thailand. Her name is Fang, and through her generosity and kindness she has made this far corner of the world feel a lot more like home. She picked us up from the airport in her nice new air conditioned car. Then drove us though the bustling chaos that is Bangkok and on to her parents house in a quieter district of town. Instead of being confronted with the full mind boggling confusion of a city of around 9 million people, we got to simply watch its twinkling lights pass by the car window.

Once we got settled in Bangkok, I switched modes from hard core traveling to just relaxing and excitedly awaiting Kala's arrival in a week. I was just burnt out on traveling and happily resigned myself to doing next to nothing. I had no enthusiasm or motivation left to do anything travel related. In the back of my mind I felt somewhat guilty about not getting out and exploring the giant history rich city just outside the front door, but it felt good and it was good for me to just chill out and recharge.

However, over the course of the week I still did get out from time to time and sampled the city. On one of our first days Mike and I ventured into downtown Bangkok to take a look around and see what there was to see. We jumped onto a moving bus just outside Fang's house (buses in Bangkok regularly do not come to a full stop at bus stops) and then rode it for several hours just to get into downtown because of the outrageous traffic. We did not arrive downtown until well into the afternoon and only ended up getting to see one major sight. But it was Wat Pho, the home of the giant golden Reclining Buddha, and it was amazing.

The Reclining Buddha is the single largest Buddha in Thailand at 46 meters long and 15 meters high [TOP: The head of the Reclining Buddha]. It is covered completely in gold plating except for it eyes and the soles of its feet, which are nacre (mother of pearl). Its expansive graceful body is detailed with long smooth flowing lines. The head and facial features a simple and resolute, while its feet and the pillows are adorned with painstaking intricate details. It is a wonderful combination of simplicity and complexity, which creates a refined and elevated feel.

The rest of my outings that week were in the company of Fang, who made them effortlessly simple and relaxing. It was a real treat, thank you Fang!!! Anyways, over the course of the week we checked out a number of interesting night markets, the giant SIAM shopping center, a couple Wats (Buddhist Temples), the Jim Thompson House, Chinatown, and a river island outside town that is renowned for its pottery. Along the way she introduced us to all sorts of interesting local foods (some delicious and others more the opposite) and helped explain the multitude of new things we encountered [BELOW LEFT: Fang explaining a local dessert; BELOW RIGHT: Woman preparing the dessert].



Fang also generously treated us to ring side seats to see Thai Kickboxing. The bouts were quite vicious and well contested, but the fighters were all tiny. The minimum age required by law in Thailand for a kickboxer is 15, and I think most of the fighters were just that. The headline fight was a 133 lb kid versus a 134 lb kid, but most of the fights were either in the 100 lb bracket or 110 lb bracket. Regardless though I would not be thrilled to meet one of these fierce little warriors in a dark alley. The highlight of the night for me though was a demonstration of Traditional Thai Kickboxing by two more experience (and larger) fighters. They spared and convincingly demonstrated a number of absolutely decimating moves.

In the last days before Kala's arrival I set about making some preparations to ensure her first days overseas would be a relaxing treat. She had been working hard preparing for the trip and wrapping up the endless list of last minute details before leaving the states, and I figured she had certainly earned a break. So I arranged with Fang to book a room in 5 star hotel where she worked, the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel in downtown Bangkok right on the river front. She hooked Kala and I up with a amazing room at a great discounted rate on the 26th floor overlooking the river. It was perfect and to top it off I picked up three beautiful long stem red roses, Kala's favorite.

On the 22nd of February, at 11:30am I took a taxi to the airport to pick up Kala after approaching 4 months apart. I arrived there at noon and then waited for the time to slowly tick past until her flight landed at 12:26pm. Then I spent what felt like an absolute eternity waiting anxiously to see her emerge from the "B" exit out of customs. Then 45 minutes later, just as I was losing hope and growing increasingly concerned, she magically appeared. I dashed across the greeting area, she dropped her bags, and I collided with her in a giant embrace. After being apart for so long, it felt simply wonderful to hold her in my arms again [BOTTOM: Kala at the Airport after 33 hours in transit from Bozeman to Bangkok].

I gave her the three red roses wrapped in some tattered newspaper. Then I happily escorted her out of the airport, and we caught a taxi to the hotel. Then we spent the next several days simply enjoying the comfortable easy vacation life of luxury and relaxation. Traveling would eventually be a harsh bolt of rough reality, but delaying that reality with a wonderful indulgence was oh so nice. It did wonders to help recharge my batteries.

As always,
-Russ

[Pictures from BANGKOK]