I was totally unprepared for the mass of humankind that is Bangkok. We arrived at six pm in a beautifully air conditioned airport, an hours bus ride away from the city centre. Our hotel is some way from the bus stop and we were required to walk some 800 mts up a crowded, bustling pavement dragging our suitcases like a dead dog on a lead, behind us. To venture out from the safety of the pavement would be unadviseable due to the traffic, as dense as the people, roaring up and down the road.
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The heat was stifling. It was about 7.30 and the thermometer was in the high 30's. Very soon my sweat was sweating. Along the road side of the pavement was a continous stream of vendors and their stalls, to the right shops, some open fronted, some glass fronted. People were everywhere. It was impossible to stop, if you did so you caused an instant human traffic jam. We ploughed on, up towards the distant bridge over the canal where lay our hotel. Not for the first time did the contrast between last week's sojourn on the idyllic and peaceful island of Kecil and what we were experiencing now strike me as just amazing.
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We soon needed to cross a pretty serious looking main road. I saw across the other side the welcome green man inicating it was safe to cross. Not so. A little green man with a phaser gun was required to stop this traffic which completely ignored the unarmed version. Tuk Tuks (three wheeled open taxis) roared around the far corner into the road we were crosiing. 'Don't worry' Annabel soothed 'you'll get used to it'
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Somehow, we arrived at the air conditioned haven that was our hotel and we were soon unpacking and looking forward, with some trepidation it must be said, to venturing out for our evening meal. I could already see Ali salivating heavily at the prospect.
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