Bangkok 04/09/06

Went into Bangkok on the weekend to catch up with my old tefl buddies, god the transport in Bkk sucks, especially in the tourist mecca that is khao san rd. I headed over there to pick up a few cds and a pair of sneakers. Once the sunsets though getting out of that part of town is a right pain. Oh yes once the sunsets the river ferry stops and you are left at the mercy of the bus system or the plague of dodgy cabbies and tuk tuk drivers who furtively peak at you with their beady little eyes and their tails of a brothers, wife's cousins shop who has just the whatever it is you are looking for.

So I consulted my favourite map, the one which supposedly lists the bus systems of Bkk, I actually quite like catching busses here, successfully catching one leads to such a sense of achievment. Especially considering they barely pause at most stops, so you need to clamber on board while the thing is still in motion, anyway I digress. So I hopped on the first bus that said it went to Siam, but not according to the conductor who told me I need to catch a "29" so I leapt off again. 29, hmm it sounded vaguely familiar, I reconsulted my map the number 29 was not to be seen on the route I was on. Then I remembered the no. 29, I was told to catch it once before by a conductor, but I have yet to see one of these mythical beasts. I now firmly believe the no. 29 to be the phantom farang bus of Bkk, existing only in the fetted heat oppressed minds of Bkk's public transport flunkies.

Anyway I did finally get to my destination only an hour late, (sigh).
Apparently they are building more stops on the skytrain, it is projected to take 3 years, (bear in mind the airport was only 5 years overdue) in the mean time predictions are traffic will get worse as the road works begin on the skytrain route, (double sigh).

Crikey, Steve Erwin, I guess he provoked the wrong creature on this occassion. honestly it was only a matter of time wasn't it, the man was in the local lingo "a bloody idiot". OK, lesson plans.
besos N.J.