If you really want to live life dangerously, take a motorbike taxi through Bangkok. It’s easy to find one, groups in neon vests sit on almost every corner. They weave their way in and out of Bangkok’s notorious traffic constantly and without any hesitation, just centimeters away from bus tires, curbs, and cars. It’s pretty scary. However, locals look so chill on the back of the bikes, girls sitting side saddle and texting as the driver zooms through the city. I, on the other hand, held on for dear life!
It continues to baffle me how little the taxi drivers know their own city. I don’t think I have ever gotten into or onto a taxi that I didn’t have to explain or show them where I needed to go, even if it’s a big and well known place. For example, I wanted to spend some time at Lumpini Park (a pretty decent sized park in Bangkok). I explained to the motorbike taxi driver where I needed to go, even got out my iPad (disadvantage of not having a phone anymore) to show him on the map. He went about a block, turned around and asked for directions from someone. I had to, yet again, get my ipad out (which I hate doing in public). After some debating we were on our way again, but it was pretty clear he still had no idea where we were going. He proceeded to ask several other motorbike taxi drivers about it on the way before taking me to a building named Lumpini, expecting me to get out. I informed him, politely, that the building is clearly not a park. FINALLY, afer passing it, twice, and asking a couple other people, he found it. What a mission.
Anyways, I made it to the park alive! It’s reallly beautiful and lays in the middle of Bangkok with buildings surrounding it. There are large trees, big areas of grass, some gazebos and pavilions,lake where you can paddle around in a giant swan boat…
Most of which I had expected, because it’s a park…what I was not expecting were the GIANT ASS LIZARDS that were roaming around. Monitor Lizards, apparently. I wouldn’t have been so freaked out if I knew they were there, but I had no idea until I laid my sarong out to sit down and one casually strolled past me!
Well, a relaxing day at the park was now out of the question (for those of you that dont know, reptiles of any kind are definitely not my favorite things in the world). I spent the remainder of my time just walking around, checking out the lizards (from a safe disance, but they were surprisingly un-phased at the presence of people, just moved very slowly and ate), and enjoying the peaceful park.
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