Khao San Road--The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good--cheap, cheap, cheap. Did I say cheap? --Spicy and tasty street food. Twice we had breakfast here. A deliciously sweet Thai iced coffee cost me 20 Thai bhat, that's about 70 cents. The exchange rate is about 28 or 30 baht to the dollar. A plate of spicy ginger chicken and a second helping of sauteed tofu with mixed vegetables on rice was 60 baht. The mystery... How does this food not spoil after being out in warm weather ALL DAY LONG!? Good thing I got those hepatitis jabs.

The Bad...it's where the backpackers go. Young, Eurotrash making too much noise for people that want to go to bed. I have not had more than a few consecutive hours of sleep for days now. No need to describe what that does to ones demeanor. Let's just say that it's not pretty. At 3:38 am this morning, Paul asked me why I hadn' t yelled out the window yet to the group of drunken intruders in our courtyard directly below our open window to pipe down. Believe me, I had thought about it. Somehow I was able to refrain from my normal response to this kind of situation. Drunks are too unpredictable. I mean really, think David Carradine? At first, I was angry that the Thai attendant hadn't silenced them from the start. Later, I understood he was probably being cautious for good reason. It's no wonder western tourists are held in such high esteem.

The Ugly...well a street fair that goes on and on with every other booth blaring similarly obnoxious music, selling the same articles of U-G-L and Y. You name it, it is nothing anybody is buying. Right now, I can't wait to escape.