A S I A 0 8 * Ron and I take a bus trip.

This is a story about a little bus adventure Ron and I took one day in May 98. Ron had just arrived in Bangkok, and I had been here for a year. So here's the tale...

Ron and I decided to do a bit of a photo shoot one Sunday afternoon when we found ourselves with nothing else to do. We armed ourselves with as much gear as possible-1 HI8 camera, 1VHSC camera, 2 complex still camera's and a cell phone. The plan was to… make up a plan as we went. To be driven by chance and guided by indecision was the strategy we were to employ to give us that rough sketch of Bangkok. We started with Sukumvit Soi 1, the home of our house. It seemed a good place to start, as we walked out on to the street. We walked up Sukumvit, near to one of the famous red light areas-Nana Plaza.

From there I realized the day was good a good one and definitely to be taken advantage of-given the frequency of Thailand's lovely days. We decided to take the 25, since it was just pulling up. During the decision process however, I got a call from Derek who informed me he would be able to meet up with us. I told him bus 25 and hung up, in order to catch the now 'speeding past the point we had been standing' bus. Since we couldn't make the 25, we found the next best one-the 23, very similar in color and content. We followed the driver's lead, as we sat in the backseat of the bus.

Nothing too eventful happened so we got off around Major Cineplex and the Science place. We trotted around the Science place a bit, which felt a bit like Tommy Bartlet's first attempt at a science park. We weren't quite sure if the place was operational-it's seemed to have a "we've left this place in the hands of the janitor" feel. There were several little kids running around with their parents, enjoying the day. Upon further inspection, we found this globe that seemed to be proportioned fine in the SE Asian realm, but as far as North America went, lake Erie was larger than Lake Superior. After we found it to be a bit hot for learning any more about science, we opted for the standing, sweating comfort of a packed #23.

We eventually got seats and took a few "out the window" shots. I kept trying to get a photo of this guy with seven pins in his ear, but the damn camera, and the bus moving… I asked the guy in that "Tai rup mai?" to which he shook his head no. Saddened I continued looking for that interesting shot out the window. I saw a lot of "Thai style goodies", but being on the bus sped us past any of those good camera opportunities.

We eventually got to the end of the line, or so that was the hint given when we noticed we were one of the last remaining passengers. Luckily the guy with the pins for earrings was still on the bus, and in a better mood. Now that there was no one to get embarrassed in front of he gladly smiled as I pointed to my camera. I took his and his 2 friend's photo as they put on their newly acquired Thai Smile, to perpetuate that land of smiles thing. So we got off to and walked back in the direction of this rather large mall. On the way we had to cross a klong.

Under the over pass we found a thriving little klong culture, to which we felt very much like outsiders. When we got to the other side, we found the mall of the olden days--the market. It was a mad house. They had a little bit of everything, fresh veggies, fruits, but mostly fish.

Trying to be jovial, I gestured to a man to pick up his fish, to which he obliged. I don't know why he held the fish upside down, but I guess he thought he was the more important subject. The most incredible thing I saw was an ancient fish whacking ceremony. As a customer, you go to the market to find the freshest food possible. And that's what you get. They have this baseball bat shaped piece of blunt wood and the whack the fish on the head. Then it's weighed and laid on the scale and put in the bag-fresh as it gets.

I saw a bunch of chickens, but I don't think they are done in the same way. After the under the bridge market and the vast assortments of chili peppers, we headed on to the westerners' contribution to Thailand-Imperial Mall. We hung about for a bit as I ran out of film in a quest to take some appropriate photos detailing the beauty of Thailand's finest contribution to man--woman. The whole time Derek had been trailing us and he was about to catch up.

When Derek arrive we went up to the top floor and found the amusement park rides-closely modeled after Disney land. There was this big dragon in the lobby, which looked like it at a brown back and a blue underbelly. Upon further inspection that brown skin was caked on dust from several years of neglect. We felt like we were in some Scooby Doo episode where the end up in the haunted abandoned amusement park.

As enjoyable as it was trying to fit in kiddy space rockets, we once again mounted the bus for our 45-minute, 10-mile ride home. Sometimes random trips are straight lines.

Soi 3, Sukumvit. Home of Nana Plaza.

The Super Bus.

Oranges in Thailand are sometimes mistaken for limes.

Guess what this bus is called.

"Oh, now that there's no one on the bus you let me take your photo".

Under the bridge housing community.

"How should I hold the fish?"

The other guy gave me 3 baht to take your photo.

Fun on a roof.

Backhoes on the way home.