And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

This is the fourth of 17 essays that cover our Southeast Asia cruise (March, 2010).  The first two paragraphs of the fourth essay read as follows:  "At the end of essay one on Bangkok, my wife and I were touring “high-end” stores so our tuk-tuk driver could get 'gas coupons.'  When our tuk-tuk tour ended, we gave our driver 60 bahts rather than the 40 negotiated at the beginning of our trip.  Still, at 60 bahts for over 1 1/2-hours of travel, the cost in U.S. dollars was less than $2.00 (about $1.86 to be exact).
   
"Back at the Grand Palace (once the official home for the Kings of Siam), which was our original destination when we left the Four Season’s Hotel in the morning, our intent was to see the Emerald Buddha located within the Palace walls.  I’m not quite sure why our focus was on seeing a wide variety of Buddhas; however, that was what was happening."
                         

Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay

Despite not getting out of the city, however, we noticed the contrast between the traditional and the modern.  For us, one of the best symbols of this contrast was seeing one of the women sidewalk vendors toting her wares in bamboo woven baskets, attached to a bamboo pole, carried over her shoulders, then selling her wares on the sidewalk beneath a large, modern, skyscraper.  Where else in the world but Bangkok?

And Then Some News