Back in the Land of Smiles

Well, I made it safely to Thailand. The rum transport hasn't gone as smoothly is I had hoped. I had to pay 4,000 rupees ($104) for having an extra bag. And the Indian baggage handlers were a little rough. When I got my bag, it was wet and smelled like rum. So, I lost one bottle. I'm starting to realize that buying things in foreign countries is more trouble than it's worth. Most things can be bought online now. So, I'll stick to buying silks and weapons that are easier to deal with. But at least Customs was even easier than expected. There's is usually a guy at the Customs desk who reads his newspaper and ignores everyone walking by. This time, there wasn't even anyone working the customs desk.

So it's nice here in Bangkok. It sure is a relief to bask in the sanity, cleanliness, and peacefulness of Bangkok. Okay, I can hear some of you laughing from all the way over here. But that really wasn't a joke. Compared to India, Bangkok really is sane, clean and peaceful. And that's compared to Bangalore, which is one of the nicest places in India. I would would also add that Bangkok has really improved in the five years I've been coming here. They have banned the two stroke engine from the city and imposed stricter emmissions standards on factories. The garbage removal is far more frequent. Drivers use their horns much less frequently, and most ares of Bangkok are now served by clean and efficient public transportation. They have even started to clean up the canals, although they have a long way to go on that account. But, really, it's actually nice in Bangkok now.