Last Day of Vacation!

For my last day in Bangkok, (and the last full day of my vacation), I decide to do something simple but active. I sign up for a bicycle tour of Bangkok with Co Van Kessel Bike tours. This company was founded by a Dutchman who's been living in Bangkok for 20 years and who wanted to provide tourists with a different way of seeing the city and surrounding outskirts.

I and eight other tourists have signed up for today's 7am to 12pm bike tour. I am the first one there (way too early) and the other tourists slowly trickle in bit by bit. The first couple is from Holland. The second couple arrives....also from Holland...then four more people come....from Holland as well. Besides these guys, I have met so many Dutch people on vacation. I am not surprised that the Dutch have chosen this particular tour, because they are a bicycling nation, and this company is founded by one of their own...but still, Holland must be empty!

After fitting our bikes, we ride into the heart of Bangkok's China town. It is hectic even at 7am on Saturday morning. Everyone is really polite when the 11 of us (9 tourists + 2 guides) take over the narrow and busy pathways and sidewalks in single file. No one is upset and a lot of people smile and wave. One of the Dutch exclaim that this is so different from Holland...there, if a cyclist is on the sidewalk, even if there's plenty of room (way more room than here) and even if he's not even near any pedestrian, there will be animosity towards him for violating pedestrian space. All the Dutch remark about how relaxed the Thai people are about traffic and other things. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, tuk tuks, taxis, cars and trucks all just putter through somehow. No one gets angry or upset about gridlock and everyone lets everyone else through. There isn't such a set rule for space use. It all interflows. Thai blood pressure must be pretty low.

The bike tour then takes us to the outskirts where we can see people doing some agricultural work. The entire tour requires three longboat ferries as well. Here are some sights along the way.

Temples.

Homes almost falling in.

Giant lizard.

Tones of fish fighting for bread.

A great day overall.

I decide to stick around Khaosan Rd and try to use up all my Thai Bhat on trinkets. While looking at t-shirts in the evening, it begins to drizzle a bit, but then suddenly it begins to thunder and rain big sobbing heavy drops and it gets very windy. T-shirt stands are being knocked over and giant umbrellas become airborne and get carried into Bangkok traffic. I and another customer are taking refuge under a small overhang while vendors are getting soaked as they try to cover up their wares and retrieve their flying umbrellas. The sky must be holding onto buckets because I soon find my flip flops under water, then my ankles. I am standing in Bangkok's overflowed sewers. I see disposable plastic and styrofoam containers float by along with cigarette butts, garbage and several large cockroaches; I don't want to think of what else might be in the flood liquid.

I'm trying to wring out my dress.

I begin to think about taking refuge back at my hotel so I put my labtop and Nick's camera into plastic bags and make a run for it. I get even more soaked. While passing by some scurrying vendors, I think that perhaps in this horrible weather some of the jewlery sellers may be willing to give me a good deal. Two necklaces later I am proven correct. 350 Bhat left...perfect...enough for a two hour massage. A good way to end off Thailand and my vacation.

I am in bed at 1am which has me a bit worried that I may oversleep and miss my alarm clock. The minibus taking me to the airport is supposed to arrive at 5am.

I'm waking up every hour and looking at my watch.