The Street Beat

The street beat in Bangkok sounds a lot like squeaking brakes and honking horns. You know what? We have joked about the traffic in Jakarta, but the traffic in Jakarta is a joke compared to Bangkok. Wow. We have yet to discover the time of day in which cars are not parked in traffic. So far we've been on the road early in the morning up until midnight - traffic every time.

Although that's a bit of a drawback to traveling through the city, it's not all that bad when there are so many sites to see. Bangkok streets are lined with shrines, markets, and thousands of people. There's a lot to see here and most of what is seen is pretty intriguing for the first time visitor.

Let's start with the shrines. In such a crowded, busy city, it's pretty amazing to see people push aside their distractions and pray on the street side. Most Thais are Buddhists and they have built shrines on nearly every block in this city. The people will approach the shrines bearing gifts such as flowers and incense. They drop to their knees and go through prayers while holding the offering in front of them. I wonder what the backlash would be in the USA if someone built a place of worship on a downtown street corner and burned incense while openly worshipping. And really, the Thai traditions are modest compared to some of the other countries we've visited. Why are people so critical of public religious displays in America when some countries around the world are so much more "in your face" than anything seen in the USA?

With shrines on many corners, you can really stay busy observing while you're stuck in traffic. But if that doesn't grab your attention, maybe the roadside markets will. Looking for a shirt? No problem. How about a wallet, purse, shoes, or hats? Done. And maybe you need books or food or glasses or magnets or shoe repair or suits or ties or widgets. Done, done, done, done. It's all there on the roadside.

Maybe you just need a cold beverage or a massage. It's all abundant on the streets of Bangkok.