Zookmann Around The World! “Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God.” – Kurt Vonnegut

Bangkok IS Fucking Dangerous

We arrived in Bangkok just a week ago and was excited to get away from the crazy islands and see a real city again for the first time since Tokyo. The bus got in at five-thirty in the morning and the place was still jumping with late-night Thai revelers. The first mission as the sun was rising was to find a cheap room on Khaosan road, on the far west side of Bangkok, and area set up just for backpackers. An underground capitalist circus engulfs the road with street vendors selling fake drivers licenses, college diplomas, women, pirated music, video games, movies, second hand books and likely stolen luggage. Tuk Tuk drivers, who are scooters with a seat in the back, swarm you every time you make a turn and cross a road with either 1) inflated prices for a trip that would cost several times over a metered taxi or 2) discounted prices where on the way to your destination you are expected to buy “genuine” gems or get a great deal on a polyester suit where the driver gets a discount or 3) drugs to by which after buying you are paid a friendly visit by the police and have to pay 1-2,000 USD’s to get out of jail. It is the wild west… but in the east. It’s the most fucked up city I’ve ever seen. Curious to see what scam is the most popular this week? Visit bangkokscams.com.

After getting a good nights sleep we made it up to Chatuchak weekend market that showed a much cooler way to spend some cash in Bangkok.  9,000 stalls from local sellers selling everything you can imagine, mostly really nice handi crafts, but the best was a little alley with all 20 something designers with some really great tshirts for sale. Puts the uber hip DIY flea markets in Brooklyn to shame. Hell these kids are giving Mishka and Supreme a run for their money. I later read that the Thai govt has been giving a lot of money to educate kids in design and setting up design libraries and money to help start businesses. Very smart – and the kids were the nicest people I’ve met in Thailand.

One thing that surprised me is how many Japanese are here. I would estimate that at the mall twenty to thirty percent of the people were Japanese. Billboards even targeted at Thai audiences have lots of Japanese people advertising Pepsi, jeans, glasses… whatever. The Japanese are here and the Thais seem to think they are rather foxy.

Helen left a few days ago – Still here with good ol’ Joel from LI and the Jersey Boys (English Jersey… like OLD Jersey and unlike toxic landscape you know of, its supposed to be a very beautiful island close to France). Since then I’ve gotten really bad food poisoning, sprained my foot, and got a little lung infection. At least the physical conditions keep changing every few weeks! Been putzing around the city, and am ready to leave. Working out my visa for India now, and I’m hopeful I can be in Mumbai in a week to begin my northern Indian trek trough Delhi into Nepal. I really wish I could see my friends for a couple days before though… eat at Bliss and a slice of Vinnies for desert with a pint of Blue Point Toasted Lager and get a cup of Stumptown Coffee at Brooklyn Standard the next day. MMMMMmmmm. I miss home.