(Day 14, March 7)

Tues. - Took a load of stuff from my hotel to my apartment. Nursing my legs along, especially my left leg.

(Days 11 - 13, March 4 - 6)

Saturday (4th) was a good day. I left the hotel early (9 am), took a bottle water that was 3/4 ice, and hoofed it to the BTS station. Everything went well. So, now I know that with ice and water and an early start, I can function outside on really hot days.

Sunday, (5th) everything fell apart. My left ankle started squirting blood (actually, just red fluid). I got it stopped and bandaged up. It shook me up some. However, in the evening I noticed my feet were sitting in a puddle of water - not good. It turns out my left leg is leaking clear fluid. I looked it up on the internet and found good/bad news. The good news is that it is not deadly. The bad news is that it is hard to fix.
I was really bumbed out. Should I return to the US? Should I stay? Will I be able to go to Nepal? In my Daily Bible Study I am reading through the Bible Chronologically this time. I listen to J Vernon McGee and Thru the Bible, but in chronological order from a sheet I got on the Internet. At the same time, I am reading Bishop Ussher's Annals of the World as I go along to see how Biblical events mesh with world events. Anyway, I am in Genesis at the part where Jacob wrestles an Angel and is crippled to keep him dependent on God. So, I kinda figure that is why God allowed this to happen - so I don't get into trouble. So, onward I will go. Kathmandu is pants weather. So, at worst I'll have to wear an adult diaper on my calf under my pant leg (grin.) ONWARD!

Monday, (6th) I wrapped my left leg and went out and rented an Apartment. I was looking at this one for a couple of weeks on the Internet. It met my requirements:

1. Close to BTS (about 300 meters)
2. Furnished
3. AC
4. Includes free Internet
5. Elevator
6. Laundry Room

It is 1/3 smaller than my hotel room. But, there is plenty of room. At 5,500 Baht per month, it is a great deal. 5,500/35 = $158/month plus water and electric, which is standard. I will move in Tues., Wed., and Thurs., and start my regular routine on Friday.

God taketh away and God giveth.

Namaste from (halfway to) Nepal.

(Days 8 - 10, March 1 - 3)

Wed - Nothing much. I ran errands and explored some more. For the second day in a row, I walked to the BTS station. It gets shorter each time. The nice thing is that I made another order and they arrived this time - Lots of cheap bottled water and fruits and vegetables.

Thur - Stayed at home and studied.

Fri.- The wheels almost came off the wagon today. My plan was to walk to the BTS station and look at a couple of apartments and a coworking place. Today was the first hot day. It had been 90. Today was 100 degrees. I started walking at 1 pm all gung ho and feeling great and spunky. But, it felt like an oven out there. I noticed some of the people walking had parasols/umbrellas. I started walking in the shade when possible. I got real thirsty and stopped at a 7-11 and got a bottle of water. About halfway to the BTS station I got dizzy. I think I was getting heat stroke or something. But, God was watching out for me. I started rubbing the bottle of water on my forehead until I wasn't dizzy. Being halfway, I pressed on, occasionally rubbing the cool bottle onto my forehead. I wasn't dizzy anymore, but I felt a little off. I made it to Tescos, which has a food court. I ordered french fries and tea at one place and ate all the ice. Then I went to the next booth and bought a fish sandwich and tea at McDonald's and ate all the ice. After an hour at both places and sitting inside where it was cooler, I felt normal again. It was only 3 pm and still blazing hot, so I grabbed a taxi and went back to my hotel.

They said summer began in March and they weren't kidding! It was brutal. I noticed the people in their little booths were setting up fans and many locals were drinking while they walked. So, when it is this hot, I will have to develop a new regimen.

1. Leave by 8 am when it is still 80 - 85 degrees and find a shelter (mall, coffee shop, coworking place, etc.) out of the sun by 11 am.
2. Bring a bottle with me from home, about 12 ounces, that is 2/3 frozen ice and the rest water. Apply ice to forehead frequently.
3. Walk in the shade whenever possible. Actually, it is still nice in the shade. It is a couple degrees warmer than before. But, the onshore breeze (about 13 mph) keeps it nice.

Namaste from (halfway to) Nepal

Walking To The Skytrain (Part 2)

Now were on the big street that goes to the main street. Not only do we have 2 lanes, we have sidewalks. Except for construction zones and klong (canal) areas, there is always a business of some type.

Typical little eatery if you want to duck in for a snack.

High rises are going up all over Bangkok. Notice the one on the left. Many of the are condos, as well as businesses.

The second 7-11 I have passed on my mile journey. There is a third one at my destination. 7-11 may be dying out in the USA, but it is flourishing here. Maybe it is time to check out their stock. They are especially good if you need a safe hot meal (hot dog, etc.) or top up minutes for your phone. 

An empty lot which will soon be built on.

Meanwhile, a homeless person lives here, as well as some feral dogs.

I pass over a klong (canal). Bangkok is a city of canals. It has more working canals than Venice. It is on a rising tectonic plate at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. 3000 years ago, Bangkok (and the shore) was 100 miles inland. Gradually, the Klongs are filled in and become streets. Many of the streets still have Klong as part of their name, such East Klong Street or Yellow Flower Klong Street.

Same bridge as last picture, but facing from whence I came.

Facing where I am going.

Just about there. Tesco is on the corner. You can see the skytrain track above the Tesco sign. Fortunately, Thai uses our numbers so you can get some info, such as their hours, here. You can go in if you need a bathroom break. There is a skywalk from the upper level of the store directly to the skytrain station. Notice the 2 "trolleys." Hey, you learned some English, today!

The little spot I took the last picture from. It is a nice cool place to rest after my walk and before I enter the crowded fray at the train station. Although it is 90 degrees and very humid, it is nice in the shade. There is a constant onshore breeze that makes the city tolerable.

Walking To The Skytrain (Part 1)

It is about 1 mile to the skytrain. It easy to find a cab back to my hotel. But, getting to the skytrain from my hotel can be a hassle. Ordering a taxi is hard and I a tired of asking the front desk to hire one. Besides, it is cheaper to walk.

This is the view from the front gate of my hotel. First, I have to walk down this tiny street. It is lined with mostly apartment buildings. They don't have elevators, so they seem to max out at 3 to 4 stories. That seems O.K. My dorm at UNL was 3 stories with no elevator and i had no problem.

In general Thailand is very clean. They have lots of street sweepers (human.)Here is a sign on a wall to remind people. There are very few pets, a few cats.

The ground floors often have little businesses. Here is a tiny cafe. 

I'm still on the same tiny street. Lots of mobile sellers, also.

Getting near the end of this tiny street. Balconies are a good place to dry laundry.

At the corner is a laundromat and water station. I am not sure how well this machine works, so no thanks. I have a nice laundry in my hotel, fortunately. Another street seller. This one is a bit more prosperous, since he is motorized.

This street connects my tiny street with Alley 4, the next street. The laundry is on the back right (see the vendor). On the right are motorbike Taxis that can take you to the skytrain. They ask to take me. But, I say I am too big and we will fall over. They just laugh. They sometimes carry huge loads, say 8 - 10 propane tanks at once.  My next street is to my left.

The little connector street is to my right. This street I walk to the end. it is full of shops, too. At least this street has 2 lanes. Like England, they drive on the left.

This more modern apartment house has a nice coffee house on the ground floor.

A Morning Visiter

Yesterday, I had a visitor. I think he was trying to enjoy some of my AC. I seem to have a 5 am bird alarm every morning. But, it seems to only last about 10 minutes until they all finish their morning wake up calls.

Light Traffic And Taxis

This is during the day with light traffic. When the office buildings empty around 5, the traffic doubles until after midnight. On the weekends the traffic is heavy all day long.

The huge increase after work/night time/weekends is mostly due to Taxis. By then, half the cars on the road are Taxis. You will notice many colors of cars. They are all Taxis, each a different company. In the foreground you see a blue one and a yellow over green one. The latter color is for independent Taxis. In the left you see orange,pink, green, yellow,gold, and another yellow over green.

At the rare stop light the motorbikes flow to the front. When traffic is moving, they drive in between all the cars. Notice the one on the left with the orange vest. He is a motorcycle taxi. There are zillions of them, again, about half the motorbikes are taxis. Women in skirts and dresses ride side saddle.

This picture is taken from a skytrain station (more about those in another post). I find the best place to get a taxi is under these. There are bus stops and taxis stop there too, picking up people going home after riding the skytrain. Around the corner in the picture is a motorbike taxi area with 10 -20 motorbike taxis. They do a brisk business.

To get a taxi, you open the back door and tell him your destination. If he nods, you get in. If you need to hail a taxi on the street, you face traffic, extend your left arm out, and wiggle your fingers. I did this for the first time yesterday. There are usually taxis at the taxi stops. But, even if you have to hail a taxi, you will never have to wait long, 5 minutes max.