I am now in Bangkok, and my first impressions are....WOW! It is so incredibly huge; and insanely populated. Traffic is a 24 hour event here. The differences are astounding. Right next to a multi-million dollar mansion, you'll find a shanty village with 10 families in residence. There are displaced, poor, and homeless people everywhere you look. It seems to me, that if you're one of the "haves" in this country, you're doing very good.The flight here was beyond torture, more specifically the flight between LA and Taipei. There was an overwhelming sense that it was never going to end. Sleeping on the plane was out of the question for sure. The plane resembled more a flying cattle car than an airliner. However perseverance won the day...not to mention more than a few drinks.
I slept for the first 13 hours I was here...and I have still not quite adjusted. I'm sure I'll be back on track in no time.
The food here is amazing!!! The two meals I've eaten here have put any Thai restaurant in the States to shame, and for about 1/12 the price. A huge portion of pad Thai will cost you about 30 Baht, that's less that $1. Just from riding around in taxis and walking the streets for a little bit, I can tell you that Bangkok is a city that runs on its stomach. There are vendors and restaurants everywhere. Cuisine from every corner of the world are found in Bangkok. I saw a French bistro next to an Pakistani restaurant across the street from a British pub. I can tell that I'm going to enjoy that aspect very much.
Well that's all for now. More to come later and more pictures for sure.
