2006? Pshhh, Thailand is way ahead of the game. Year 2549 is up next, according to the Buddhist calendar.

Our last few days in year 2548 (which is way too confusing, so we’ll stick with Jesus’ birthday) were packed with activities. We cherished our last hours with Kee in Chiang Mai, and casually explored handicraft factories and shops. Two of my leaders/friends from a Rustic trip two summers ago, Pim and Anon, met us for lunch to catch up and reminisce on good times. Then later that day, now we’re talkin’ Bangkok, Nick and I had a great dinner with Isabella, one of our friends from high school. We happened to be in Costa Rica together for Christmas two years ago, so basically it’s fate. I got the scoop on Harvard-Westlake life this year – all the juicy drama and college chitchat I have to admit I miss a bit.

I’ve been in and out of Bangkok many times, but I’d never ventured away from Sukhumvit Soi 22 until yesterday. That one street I could walk blindfolded, and skillfully dodge the sidewalk potholes. But there’s more to the city than May Massage and The Regency Park Hotel. With Jerry, we hit the guidebook spots. With a guide like Jerry, I went from backpacker to tourist, a transition difficult to adjust to after five months of independent wandering. There’s that slight feeling of constraint in having a leader and an agenda, which, for the same reason, makes that kind of touring good and bad. You can’t turn down random streets and explore at leisure, but the days are undoubtedly more efficient. Yesterday was a perfect example:

In the morning, we took a car to Chinatown, where Jerry pointed out culinary oddities and Nick and I didn’t breathe through our noses. Nick summed up the area quite well: “I’ve never seen so many things I’d never eat.” We continued walking into the flower and vegetable markets, and then conveniently met up with the van to go see the reclining Buddha, stretching for roughly 140 amazing feet. A quick tuktuk ride landed us at The Grand Palace, the ceremonial headquarters of the royal family. Gold, jewels, and other shiny things competed for our attention; Everyone is diagnosed with ADD upon entering. A canal tour showed us a different side of Bangkok – stilt wooden houses staying afloat somehow, and the Chatuchak weekend market left us with our heads spinning. After the sky train delivered us back to our hotel, we weren’t overwhelmed by the day, but definitely whelmed. We had just enough left in us for dinner in the night bazaar and a Muay Thai boxing match. The latter gave us a second wind. Like bull fighting in Spain, people have mixed opinions about Thai boxing. It’s brutal, yes, but it’s undoubtedly a demonstration of machismo as culturally significant as ladyboys. Watching the coaches shout and fight vicariously is no less entertaining.

As with Christmas, the Thai people were surprisingly committed to imitating a western New Year’s celebration. Anything to make the tourist population happy. From our room, we watched fireworks rocket out of boats in the river, and our hotel’s booming countdown. The private show and a “woohoo” among the four of us was just perfect, since we had to wake up five hours later to fly to Cambodia.

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