They say that ” Travel Broadens the Mind” and I concur wholeheartedly.  Different lands, culture and people are what make traveling an adventure every time.  My visit to Bangkok is my first after a long while and I have no illusion that it will still be the same as it was 40 years ago.  There was a lot of greenery then, rice fields, forests, Monks in saffron robes walking in groups and always in a line.

Bangkok now boggles the mind.  From the time you arrive at their airport almost in the middle of nowhere like Narita Airport in Japan used to be, then ushered in to a cavernous modern designed terminal, you will be amazed at the number of people waiting in line, mostly tourist for immigration and custom clearance.  We complain when there are 10 persons ahead of us in any line but how about 300 people and almost never ending line?  Result of 20 million tourists arrival per year.  But the line was fast and it only took 15 minutes.

Then you are transported to the city by vans that seemingly defy gravity by skimming the air above the Expressway like Hovercrafts weaving in and out at speeds that rival those cars in Le Mans. The experience is akin to riding the Matterhorn at Disneyland where you hold your breath for only about a minute then it is over, this ride covers about 25 kilometers in about 15 minutes. You do the math. Some of us are bluish turning to green complexion at the end of the ride, both from lack of oxygen and motion sickness.  There is no use talking to the driver for they don’t speak English but will probably understand Deutsch for they all drive like Vettel and Schumacher.

Why they drive like this from the airport becomes clear when you reach the city for the moment you exit the expressway ($1 toll for 25 km), it is almost standstill, it took us another 20 minutes to travel about 3km.  The traffic is chaotic, drivers darting in and out of the opposite lane.  If not for private security guards of affected hotels and commercial buildings acting as traffic aides, it will probably take another 30 minutes to reach our hotel.

It is in the city where first time travelers from Europe and USA realize that they are not in Kansas or whatever place is equivalent in Europe, anymore.  They are in Asia, a region where 4 out of 7 billion people live, in a city where its population is greater than any Scandinavian country.  The noise, traffic, congestion, incessant beeping and blowing of horns, the sights, vendors lined up on both sides of the sidewalk and the thousands of pedestrians and tourists jostling you for every available space is an experience one does not easily forget.

I say mind boggling because our hotel is located at the center of Bangkok. The moment you step outside the hotel, you have a problem.  If you want to go shopping do you go left where in the next building Leica, LV, Fendi, Ferragamo and all Italian name brands are located?  Or go across the Avenue for all the French, American, Big Camera store is located. Or go a little further and you came across 6 adjacent buildings all selling budget priced goods.

Restaurants and small eateries abound.  Quick snacks?  Don’t have to go inside a store, you can find almost everything on the sidewalk, order, pay for and eat in about 5 seconds.  Drinks? Again, all kinds of juices, fruits all on the sidewalk, you can touch and select what you like, unlike in Europe that they will lynch you if you touch their produce.  My favorite is coco juice, cost?  Just a little over $1.  Fruit?  Try Spiny durian, food of the gods, definitely an acquired taste, yellowish smooth mangoes, bananas of several varieties, longkong or lanzones cost?  Bought 1k for $3/k at Big C, 2k for $2/k at train station then 4k for $1/k!  Prime example for price elasticity of demand!  If we find a cheaper source we will start exporting this to Manila where cost is $10/K.  We also bought mangosteen, pineapple, tamarind, and jackfruit at a third of the price in Manila.  More about this later.

I say mind boggling because you are forced to make choices every time, what food to eat, Thai, American, Chinese, Singaporean, Japanese, Korean and even Nyonya, combination of Chinese and Malay cuisine.  Fruits? All kinds of tropical fruits at very reasonable prices.  Shopping?  All the buildings around your hotel and every floor filled with all kinds of products, men’s women’s fashion, kids, gowns, cameras, etc. Street Food?  I believe that Bangkok was the origin of this style of dining.  They have perfected this style. Walk in any sidewalk and you will be going thru a gauntlet of fried, boiled, sautéed, grilled and baked everything, from all parts of chicken, and I mean ALL parts, inside and out and other meats and fowl that I have never heard or seen or eaten before. Your senses will be on overload as you walk, smell the aroma of food being cooked, Durian, nuts being roasted.

Sights?  There are Buddhas everywhere, sitting laying, smiling, sleeping, on its side, on its back.  Small, medium, big, really big, and gigantic. Temples? They call them Wat. If you have been in Siem Reap you will notice the similarities, except that Cambodian temples do not sag or lean like the tower of Pisa in Italy. Perhaps something to do with the stability of the soil and the flooding that occurs every year. Or the more plausible explanation is that they lean away from the main temple so that they don’t cause any damage should the minor stupas fall.

I say mind boggling because even in taking pictures you have to make numerous decisions. Aside from what lens, opening or speed to use, you are confronted with these new fangled cameras whose manual resembles a small encyclopedia. You are faced with what scene to set on your camera, Landscape? Portrait? Macro? Night shots? Then you are confronted with the different picture effects that you can use, plus the control of saturation, contrast, and sharpness. White balance, etc, etc, almost at infinitum if you consider the number of permutations you can apply.

It seems to me that camera makers are going to a direction that all decision are made prior to shooting and all you have to do is select the right button and the camera does the rest, much like Kodak’s slogan ” You press the button, we do the rest ” The slogan was made during the 1920’s and what is funny is that it’s still applicable today. The differences being you have to press more buttons before pressing the shutter. This seems to be the direction of any technology, make things simpler. Leave the thinking to the experts. But you still have to learn what buttons to press.

What have I learned from this trip? Plenty! No.1 is that your body will have to undergo acclimatization process to enjoy fully your trip to Bangkok. Jet setters or travelers are familiar with this. Travel more than five-hour times zones and your body will need to adjust. Climb beyond 10,000 ft. and you will experience oxygen deprivation, diving, running, water skiing and all forms of strenuous activities requires that you prepare your body beforehand. But Bangkok? What preparation do you need?

If you have not experienced any form of body massage like Shiatsu or Swedish and even if you have, Thai massage may not be for you. Having one is like a Russian roulette, you do not know which of your bones will break. I found out that consuming 7 kilos of lanzones in four days is not good for your health. Feasting on spicy Thai food like Tom Yung Gung, Pad Pak Bung, Guay Teow Lui Suan et al is not good for your digestive system. Even your body will have to acclimatize itself from all the spices and flavors that your stomach will meet for the first time.  Master Rudy did not have this problem, he treated his stomach to its familiar dish, fried chicken, no sauce and fried rice, no chili. He probably has encountered this problem before, “once bitten, twice shy” type of thing.

In conclusion, Bangkok OTS is not at all productive, photographically for all the distractions and numerous activities that compete with taking photos. May I suggest that if and when we return to Bangkok, we stay for a week, at least, and do it as soon as possible, like next month, for most of us are fully acclimatized?