The trip was wonderful. There were only 15 people on the bus, so we each had our own row of fully reclining seats. I was told we'd arrive on Khao San Road in Bangkok at 6:20 a.m. That's early, but not too bad, since Khao San is a nuthouse, and I was confident I could find a room at one of the bazillion guest houses there.
We arrived at 4:15 a.m. The tuk-tuk drivers were waiting for us. There were three for every person on the bus, and I am not exaggerating.
But more to the point, I was pissed, and a little scared. There isn't a city on God's green earth that I want to wander around at 4:15 a.m. I found the only bus in the world that arrives over two hours early.
Luckily, guest houses there are accustomed to admitting guests at all hours, so I was able to find a place. Actually, I just followed two cute girls I met on the bus who knew of a place and invited me along, so I can't really claim to have done much of anything except be a slave to my hormones.
On my previous stays in Bangkok I slept in the financial district, called Silom. I've never seen so many banks. It's clean and quiet, close to shopping but not much else. (It's is close to Patpong, one of the most famous stretches of go-go bars, but I haven't been brave enough to venture there.)
To really experience Bangkok as a backpacker you have to visit Thanon Khao San, the legendary tourist ghetto. (It's where Leonardo DiCaprio stayed in the awful film version of "The Beach".) It and Thamel in Kathmandu are the most famous backpacker hangouts in the world. I've been to both and I think Khao San actually has a higher concentration of dreadlocks.
It lived up to the hype. Here it is during the day, before it gets crazy.
There are shops along the street. And shops in front of them on the sidewalk. And shops in front of them on the street. And shops in front of them. And vendors in the street.
I love Thai food but I'm not a big fan of pad thai, the staple food here. But you can buy it from street vendors about every 50 feet for 20 to 30 baht (less than a
dollar).
At night makeshift bars open everywhere. Draft bars are set up in front of 7-11s.
Other entrepreneurial souls roll bars onto the sidewalk and set up plastic stools.
Here is a businessman who truly understands how to market to his target demographic.
Of course I had to buy a beer from him.
There was a New Year celebration in the street, featuring an acrobat in a dragon suit performing on a pole four stories above the street.
But the stars were ... elephants! These were the three most amazing elephants I've ever seen. When I was in Nepal I thought the mahouts were unnecessarily cruel. Now I know. These elephants did some pretty fantastic tricks, and it wasn't clear what the mahouts were doing or saying to get them to do it. The mahouts in Nepal were constantly kicking and whacking the elephants. These mahouts got their elephants to perform with just a word or a scratch behind the ear.
Here is the smallest one, and by far the most fun to watch, handing the mahout a donation from a tourist.
There were a group of hippies banging on drums, usually something I run away from like my hair's on fire, but this mahout had his elephant bobbing its head up and down to the beat. But he also had it lift its front leg and opposite back leg, then switch to the opposite legs, so it looked for all the world like the elephant was dancing to the music.
(Elephants are physically incapable of jumping, so this can't be an easy trick to teach.)
I never felt like the mahouts I saw in Nepal were truly in control of their animals. This guy was on a crowded, noisy city street at night, with neon light everywhere and camera flashes going off (elephants have poor eyesight), and yet it was clear he was in absolute control. It was really fun to watch.
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