Because I just came from Angkor Wat, where everything was awe-inspiring and grand? Because Bangkok reminds me of Taipei 10-15 years ago? Because it is unbearably hot and humid, leaving me reluctant to leave the comfort of my hotel room? Because I need a mental recharge from traveling?
I don't know the reason. Perhaps, like a grade school standardized test, the answer is all of the above or none of the above.
The suffocating throngs of people and cars, the mass rapid transit, the dangerously delicious night markets, the cheap and knockoff products, the depressing pollution - all are reminiscent of Taipei. The only difference is that I can't decipher the language. When people talk about Bangkok as an interesting place to visit, they speak of its hospitality, nightlife, shopping, and temples. While I strolled in the Patpong night market this evening, a woman tried to lure me into a strip joint. She pointed to my jewels and cocked her wrist up: "Girls so pretty, up til morning." Oh Buddha.
There has to be something for, at least for me.
After two days of threateningly dark skies and unexpected humidity, it finally rained today. It was refreshing. It washed away some of the dampness, some of the pollution. The sky cleared up ever so briefly.
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