2 March

Last post. Finally made it to Bangkok yesterday morning after a long flight over Mongolia & China. Left Mandy at the hotel for a couple of hours & took the Skytrain west, across the river, I’d never been that way before so decided it was time. Got off when I felt I’d gone far enough & walked around, no farangs out there. Had a massage, grabbed a soft drink & headed back to walk along the road to the Chatrium, with a hair cut along the way. I love going into barbers where no one speaks English & see what I come out with.
We headed to the pool for a few hours, a snack for a late lunch then back to the room where we both crashed out for 3-4 hours. Reading on the balcony rounded out the day before room service & an early night.
I was up early on the balcony. I love this crazy city at the best of times, it’s total madness but the mornings I love more, when it’s just waking & getting going. The Chao Praya is devoid of the LED-encrusted party boats banging out tragic music, long tail boats shuttling commuters home & the buildings atopped with their red flashing beacons.
It’s calm, nearly serene, with the occasional tiny boat towing empty barges up river to be laden with goods. The hotel ferries, either from a bygone era, or made to look as such, start to work travellers around. The city retains hints of days gone by when the likes of Conrad, Maugham, Coward & Michener, or other travellers, would have been frequenting the Oriental, perhaps in white linen suits supping the local delicacies.
There is obviously many sides to this city, but I love it at this time of day.
It’s going to be a lazy day, we’re seriously disappointed that we lost a day here due to the conflicts nearby, but we know we’ll be back again soon, as we have been so many times.