Laying over in Bangkok

12/9/11

As is predictable... the trip from Portland to Bangkok was long, but not bad for what it was.  I was able to fly business from Portland to Tokyo (thank you Damien) with just an hour and a half layover and then coach to Bangkok.  It made for a long day, about 36 hours (about 21hr's in the air) .  There was a little drama upon arrival, after clearing customs I got a some cash from the ATM at the Airport and left my card in the machine. In my own defense I had been up for a while, but as my friend Jackie from the bank says... it was a dumb ass move.  Well.... I can't argue with that assessment.  Anyway, I few phone calls and everything will work out.  

Bangkok is really just a layover for me 

on the way to Cambodia, I wanted to 

give my self a little break and let my 

travel Mojo sink in, so I'm only here 

for a day and a half. That said, I did

take the opportunity to get my first 

(of what I hope to be many) massage 

yesterday. This evening I fly to Siem 

Reap. 

This morning, after organizing my things, I went down to the hotel dinning room to find that I had missed breakfast. This was a good thing since it gave  me just enough of a nudge to send me out onto the street for something to eat.  I found a group of vendors about a block from the hotel and decided to drive right in.  I had a very interesting soup and coffee.  Couldn't tell you what was in the soup, but it was "authentic" and good, and only cost a dollar USD.

I love this atmosphere.  Not a tourist in sight, just locals going about there normal day to day.  Everyone seems to know each other, and there appears to be a genuine cross section of the local society.
As I eat my soup I watch as an outdoor cafe materialized before my eyes. I'm sitting at a table on the sidewalk and people are setting up a platform that extends the sidewalk into the side street about eight feet.  Complete with tables chairs and a little fence it more than triples the seating area that this group of vendors can use.  This totally beats the hotel breakfast and at less than one tenth the price it is a bargain too.