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Stoked up on a decent breakfast and hailed a taxi to the airport. Denpasar traffic was mad: when there was a traffic jam, the motorbikes just went on to the pavement. Painless check in then the usual time to kill. I amused myself by finding presents for Annelise that would use up our last Rph26,000. The lucky lady received a shell bracelet and a PVC ethnic purse.
Landed at Singapore, bussed it to the budget terminal (which was very budget) and touched down in Bangkok at 730 as scheduled. Checked into the Metropolitan on another recession busting deal. What a sanctuary!
I sensed quite a few changes since my last visit in 1991: a taller skyline and some ambitious civil engineering. Back on street level, the feeling was the same with broken pavements, mad traffic, intense heat and the smell of fumes, sewer, rotting vegetation and exotic spice.
The concierge had recommended Bua for dinner: a very modest restaurant a short cab ride away. The English menu was full appetizing dishes such as "Soup with prawn bits and pigs entrails". When our meals arrived they looked like pad thai and red curry and were exceptionally tasty.
Annelise had thoughtfully booked a hotel within an easy walk of the Patpong Road. With its night market and other more cultural attractions, this made an ideal destination for a stroll to walk off dinner. The market was full offake Jimmy Choo bags and Rolexes. Strolled the length of it a couple of times, whilst sneaking a look through the doorways at the exotic little treasures inside. There must have been a lot of table tennis going on as Annelise kept getting invited to see a ping pong show. Meanwhile I was shown the program for another show which featured some very talented cats which could play darts and musical instruments.
We couldn't decide on the entertainment, so stopped for a drink at a pavement pub and watched the world go by - a heady mix of curious backpacker types, middle aged tourists, Thai girl -farang couples and Thais industriously trying to make a living. The hawkers out with their sleeping babies were quite sobering.
Patpong 2 was far more seedy with groups of sultry young hookers, some with guys old enough to be their granddad.
Walked back to the hotel with the main excitement provided by a pack of giant mutant rats - it was like a scene from a James Herbert novel. With a resulting injection of pace we were back in the cool clinical minimalist safety of the Met. Having experienced the excitement of three countries in a day and one of Bangkok's most notorious attractions it was time for bed….
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