Time for Thai

Hi kids.

Well, for those of you who are at work and bored out of your skulls, I will now provide you with something to pass the time. No need to thank me, however donations are lovely and I do accept payment in alcohol. It's the gift that keeps on giving. Here's a little something I wrote upon returning from Thailand, way back in 2000. It honestly seems like a lifetime ago. If the boss stops by your desk, tell him it's a TPS report and then tell him "concha tu madre". This works especially well when he/she understands español.

Here is part 1:

Thailand seemed exotic to me. It occupied in my mind that strange space that exists between legend and reality. The name of the country itself was alluring. Thailand. People who had been there talked endlessly about its natural beauty, but they had stayed in five-star resorts surrounded by those creature comforts that are necessary for most vacationers from the West. I knew that my trip, with my limited budget, would be entirely different, but I was willing to accept this as part of the adventure. After contacting a travel agent in Hong Kong, and researching a bit on the Internet, I was ready to go. A fellow exchange student agreed to tag along, and I was kind of thankful for the extra bit of support. The flight to Bangkok was uneventful, but I did get my first taste of Thai beer (something I would be tasting a lot more of from that point on…).

The first thing we noticed was the stifling heat, which at 9pm was a balmy 36C. After finding our backpacks, we tried to find a taxi, which wasn’t difficult, since upon exiting the airport we were immediately surrounded by Thai men and women clambering for our bags and our business. We knew of one hotel, recommended by someone in Hong Kong. Upon arriving, sweating buckets, our relief at finding the place was only diminished by the fact it was fully booked. 11pm at night in Bangkok with heavy backpacks and no place to go. The guidebook refers us to Kho Sanh Road, apparently infamous for cheap guesthouses. Encouraged, we set out into the steamy night. After walking for half an hour to no avail and cursing our sense of misdirection, we hailed a tuk-tuk, which took us around the next corner to our destination. We arrived at Kho Sanh Road, and immediately my spirits were buoyed. Lots of tanned travellers, many with backpacks, sitting in bars by the road, watching new American films on large TV’s, drinking the night away. 1am and the street was rocking. My kind of place.

END OF PART ONE.
Riveting ain't it? Relax, it gets better. OK, not much, but still, there are more sentences. And words.

Cheers.