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The first thing I do when I move into a new hotel room is to check out the view.

Thailand and Cambodia 2000 - Part One - Bangkok & Siem Reap

Dougburnett
2003-11-22 17:55:13

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that it was trying to get away. A lady had a pail of eels and every now and then one of them would make a jump at the top. She would then nonchalantly grab the escapee and drop him back in the bucket - she didn't seem to think it was out of the ordinary, but I did.

Finally, finished with Chinatown, I took a River Express south all the way to the Taksin bridge. From there I got on Bangkok's new transportation system, an elevated train called Sky Train. I was planning to take it in to Siam Square, a large, modern shopping area.

After I climbed up to the station, I got a ticket from one of the automated dispenser. You pay according to how many zones you will be traveling across. You need correct change, but there was someone on hand to help with that. The ride, high above the crowded streets and in air condition cars, was quite pleasant. It's a great way to see the city.

This, you will remember, was Sunday and I had already found that most stores, except for Chinatown, were closed. Even the River Express wasn't running as often. I was hoping that I would find some activity at Siam Square - and I did. Apparently, this is where Bangkok's teenagers head on Sunday afternoon. There were blocks and blocks of clothing, ice cream and music stores and lots of shoppers.

I ended up around the corner at the Mahboonkrong shopping center - the airconditioning was the main attraction for me. It was 8 floors of stores, both large and small, arranged around an open atrium. On the top floor there was a movie multiplex and a video arcade.

The most interesting video game was the "dancing" game. Players "dance" an intricate set of steps that they follow on a monitor in front of them, stepping on pads imbedded in the floor. Points were accumulated in respect to accuracy. The music was loud and there was always a small crowd around these games. This seemed more ...