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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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Bangkok, Saturday, February 19

The first thing I do when I move into a new hotel room is to check out the view. From my window at the Riverview Guest House I could see north up the Chao Phraya, the river that bisects Bangkok. It was a lovely sight at night with the lights from the city sparkling off the water. I could also see boats moving through the water.

Closer to me, between the hotel and the river, was a Chinese Temple. Looking down I could see a stage had been setup in the courtyard. I had sort of a front-row balcony view. I immediately wondered what that stage might mean to my sleep. Apparently nothing tonight as it was after midnight and there was no one around - but I figured I might hear more from it later.

Next morning I headed up to the dining room on the 8th floor. From there, as I waited for breakfast, I had an even better view of the river and Bangkok. I could see north to Wat Pho and south to the Taksin bridge - a vast chunk of the city. The restaurant was open on two sides and a refreshing, but humid, breeze blew in. I thought to myself: I'm going to like Thailand.

After I was done eating, I set off to explore the city. My plan was simple: head north to Chinatown - it wasn't very far. When I got there I found lanes full of stalls selling every conceivable kind of consumer goods: perfume, vegetables, toy guns, lottery tickets and all kinds of raw and cooked foods. The lanes were covered to keep the sun out but still quite hot. They were also narrow and crowded which made the going slow.

I love to walk these busy markets - they are great places to take pictures. I don't carry a telephoto lens and need to get close to get interesting pictures of people. These lanes, thick with traffic, made that easy to do. With so many people around no one noticed me with my small camera.

I wandered for several hours, looking ...