One Night in Bangkok

Aug’10 – Bangkok, Thailand. Convenient Grand Hotel by the airport.

1 August 2010 – Bangkok, Thailand

In an effort to give the camel carrying my karma a bit of a headstart, I spent last night in Bangkok to rest all day before my midnight flight to Beirut tonight. I’m staying in a bare bones room at the Convenient Grand, a cheap hotel near the airport. It feels like a no man’s land.[bxA]

Aug’10 – Bangkok, Thailand. Soi outside the Convenient Grand Hotel.

The seven-story hotel sits down a dusty lazy soi that’s got nothing but a few little houses and scruffy dogs milling about. The backside faces a field and some industrial stuff here and there. I’m sitting in the hotel restaurant staring out the window at two spirit houses across the street. The last bowl of Tom Yum Goong I’ll eat in a while is not the best I’ve had, but I’m savoring the spicy coconut milk flavor and paying careful attention to all the twiggy things that give it flavor but I’m not supposed to eat. The Eagles’ ‘Take it Easy’ is blaring from the speaker over my head.

Aug’10 – Bangkok, Thailand. Soi outside the Convenient Grand Hotel.

A tiny Thai toddler just went running past the spirit houses clutching his plastic yellow electric guitar. His tired young mother ran out to snatch him from the street and now he’s jamming like a rockstar on his toy guitar in the family’s compound.

Aug’10 – Bangkok, Thailand. Entrance to the Convenient Grand Hotel.

I’ve scheduled one last Thai massage for 300 baht available near the hotel lobby and I’m wondering how I’ll ever survive without them. Thailand has gotten under my skin and I don’t want to leave. I imagine the camel with my karma getting up on its lanky legs in reluctant preparation for the long journey to the Middle East. I’m taking the airport shuttle to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport at 10pm. “If I could save time in a bottle” is blaring on the lousy sound system and I’m wondering if we could save time in a bottle…

Jun’10 – Phuket, Thailand. Siam Commercial Bank calendar, my kitchen.

But we can’t. And I don’t like this song.