Three nights in Bangkok

Who could forget the 80s one-hit-wonder, One Night in Bangkok? So my question was, how humble could three nights in the vibrant, bustling city make me? Answer: quite a bit when you start with a stomach bug.

My traveling companion, Craig, and I arrived in the early morning and the city was still steaming and alive. On the drive to our hotel, there were people dining on late-night snacks at street side eateries that line many of the city's streets. People greeted us with wide smiles and the melodic sounds of their customary "Sa wa di" greeting.

We pampered ourselves by splurging on a couple nights at the Swissotel, mainly because I fell in love with the pool. Wouldn't you?

After a day recovering from jet lag at the pool, we headed to the Suan Lum Night Bazaar. The market, a calm environment compared to the city's other night market (see below), has everything a tourist can imagine. Knock-offs, Thai clothing, silks, wood carvings, bootleg DVDs are just some of the wares up for haggling. Given my illness, I couldn't stomach much weaving in and out of the heated aisles. Instead, we opted to relax in the open-air food court and beer garden. Food stalls line the perimeter and serve a variety of Thai and Asian food. The beer is several times more expensive than the food, which is pricey by Thai standards. We do give the local Chang beer an endorsement.




There was free entertainment on the huge stage that seemed more suited for a much larger venue. We listened to Thai singers perform various pop, hip-hop and rock songs complete with back-up dancers. There was even a rendition of one of my favorite 80s classics, "Hey Mickey".

On our third night we ventured to the lively and colorful Pat Pong night market. Shopping is just one of the many past-times one can enjoy along the small streets in this part of Bangkok. The area is well-known for it's live entertainment which includes bikini clad go-go dancers and the renowned "ping-pong" shows. You can't walk more than a few feet before being approached by someone wanting to lure you into a show. Having traveled all that way, one really must take part in the obligatory tradition. You can negotiate your ticket which we did quite expertly. We went back to look for a particular hawker, Duck, because he was wearing an Obama t-shirt. Duck considers himself the President's brother. He's never seen him in Pat Pong though, I asked.

The show let me amazed, shocked and, at times, a little disturbed. I really think some improvements can be made in terms of stage presence and audience engagement. Most performers displayed little energy as they performed their feats. I guess we can all get a little bored with our routines and anatomically launching foreign objects could be mind-numbing as any job night after night. There was one artist that stood out from the rest with both her achievements and personality. Let's just say I will never look at a banana or a bottle of Coke in the same way. Bangkok---humbling indeed.