I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: the sleaze in this place continues to amaze me.
I went with my new friend Som to the night market which was insane. It’s the largest in the world. Suffice to say, it’s much bigger than you imagine. I wanted to buy a rack of shit, but I restrained my impulses because I’m traveling light and I’ll be back here in a few weeks. They stock a small mountain of great things that I’ve never seen anywhere else, though.
After the night market we went to the bar/restaurant. Now, this was cool, but there was an air of suspicion. And this is probably uncalled for, and the direct result of the trauma that I got on my last trip to Shanghai in which I was almost had for a few hundred dollars by a pair of Chinese girls. I played the part of the stupid foreigner that time, as they brought me to some restaurant and tried to drop me with a huge bill. I’m sure it was way out of line, but I had that on my mind the whole time I was with Som, if only because he was so cool and so generous and kind. Thankfully my trauma will most likely die tonight, as everything was cool and great.
So we were at this restaurant/bar where we got a few drinks and some food while checking out some local Thai bands on stage. Met a few people and had a few bottles of Singha while he ordered a bottle of V.S.O.P. (weird). I’m fairly faded and he’s proposes what we should do for the rest of the night. This part is really sweet.
Som: SO WHATS NEXT
Me: YOU TELL ME, YOU’RE THAI
Som: WE GO TO THE STUDENT DORM
Me: OKAY
Som: HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU HAVE?
Me: WHAT
Som: HAND ME YOUR PEN
Here’s where it gets interesting. On a scrap piece of paper, which I have in my pocket, and I will tape into my journal, he writes the following. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. And then below these; 4000, 3000, 2000, 1500, 1000.
Som: OKAY, NUMBER 5 IS AGED 30-40, NUMBER 4 IS 25, NUMBER 3 IS 23, NUMBER 2 IS 20, AND NUMBER 1 IS 18. WHICH DO YOU WANT
Me: (I don’t want prostitutes) OH I ONLY HAVE 800, DANG IT
Som: OKAY COOL, GIVE ME THE PEN AGAIN
He starts writing again. This time, “500-2000”. And then below that, “H.I.V.”.
Som: SO YEAH, THESE HAVE HIV, BUT ARE CHEAPER
Me: OH EXCELLENT, NO THANKS THOUGH, JUST ANOTHER BEER
Today was a pretty eventful day, but that I think was definitely the most interesting and memorable part. Tomorrow is my last day in Bangkok before I go to Laos. I will do my best to make it just as eventful, but I will have to try hard. Hookers are out of the question (I haven’t even been to Pat Pong yet).