First Stop: Bangkok! (1/27/09)

Hi guys, its Jason. Try to go easy on me as this is my first blog post. Jojo has temporarily turned over the reigns.

We took it rather easy today. One would think that 18 hours in the front cabin would be restful - and it was. Regardless, waking up halfway around the world in a completely different place still causes quite the shock to the system. After waiting a surprisingly long time for our bags, we decided to be troopers and we opted for a shuttle bus into downtown rather than taking a taxi. What we didn't anticipate was Tuesday morning rush hour. We're not strangers to heavy traffic, but there is something unsettling about a long, slow bus ride down chaotic, uncharted Bangkok streets. Over an hour later we arrived at our hotel - the Plaza Athenee Royal Meridien Bangkok. It was truly a sight for sore eyes. We were upgraded to a suite thanks to my SPG Platinum wife. I loves her.







This was the first distinct parallel we drew to India. It has been our experience that Asian cities in general are not segregated socioeconomically the way they are in the states. At home, you can easily tell an affluent neighborhood from a poorer neighborhood by the quality of the streets, infrastructure, and overall property. Here, as in Bangalore, Agra, Dehli etc, one will find dilapidated streets and shanties interspersed with beautiful, gated, manicured resorts and mansions. Its like stepping through a class portal (although it seems that the poor are much poorer in India).