Paul's Oriental Travelogue

In the provinces

Thirty eight cents will buy you a ride on a cramped, hot train from Bangkok to Ayuthaya. Thrown in gratuis, an elderly Japanese man with a lazy eye will sit across from you and study his guidebook closely with one...
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Thailand embraces in its bosom all people of Thai blood

Thailand is extremely patriotic. There are more national flags hanging around just about everywhere than you'd see in nearly any country besides America. Maybe even America. Every day at 8AM and 6PM, in public spaces like Parks or the Library...
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Dusk

It's not easy meeting people in Khao San Road/Banglamphu bars or restaurants, but I figured I owed it to myself one night. Not surprising for what I will continue to call a tourist ghetto, the booze joints are mainly full...
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"The government murdered 2500 people last year, man"

Just chatted with a hippie-ish old guy while eating dinner in the restaurant of some random guest house and watching a movie with Danny Glover and Martin Short. The volume was too low and the subtitles in Thai, so I'm...
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And through the woods

Perhaps in response to the tourist ghetto of Khao San, I went for a walk over to the river at dusk. I crossed the Phra Pin Klao Bridge but I actually wanted to be on the Rama 8 Bridge half...
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Hanging out in a train station

First day of February and I've been drenched in sweat nearly all of it. On my feet, the cheap band-aids on the blisters from my new sandals have melted into a sticky goo that, now mixed with blood, isn't helping...
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