Bangkok 2

I left Koh Chang in another torrential downpour. The ride across in the ferry was very wet and I was unable to take any of the photos of the island that I was hoping for. As usual, the half-day journey took 10 hours and it was absolutely pouring again when we arrived in Bangkok. Fortunately, I got dropped off a couple of blocks from my hotel and I knew the way, so I was able to get out of the rain fairly quickly.

I met up with Carol that evening for a glass (okay, a bottle) of wine and a get-acquainted chat. She is originally from the Toronto area but now lives in Calgary. She has a interesting job in geology and travels around the world with oil companies. We chatted like old friends, and had a lovely evening.

Yesterday, we went exploring the higher-end shopping district of Bangkok on foot. We covered miles and miles and saw parts of the city that I've never seen before. It was a tiring day, but lots of fun. I'm absolutely amazed at what you can buy here, and at what prices. Am tempted to abandon my dream of traveling and just spend the rest of my life savings in the malls and markets here.

We met up later in the evening for dinner with Toni, another trekker from Canada (Dundas, Ontario). She had just arrived after a 30-hour journey and we had to keep her from falling asleep in her curry. After we sent her to bed, Carol and I went into the more racy section of town to watch the hookers and the "girly-boys". Quite a show. You end up getting into bets as to whether the person in question is a girl or boy - a bet that nobody can really win without purchasing the services of the person in question in order to obtain proof. The place was riddled with the aforementioned couples consisting of western men and Thai girls, as well as western men looking to make a match. All in all, a very educational evening.

Today I moved into the hotel with the other trekkers and we'll be picked up a 3:00 tomorrow morning to go to the airport for our flight to Bhutan. I'm planning to visit the weekend market for a while this afternoon and then call it a day and get some rest by the pool. My cold is pretty much gone, but I have some residual coughing. I should be fine for the trek.

This will likely be my last post until I'm back in Bangkok on November 6.