If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Monday, April 25

Back in Bangkok

Well, we've been in Bangkok for about a week, waiting on new Visas.  Not much to do since even a little entertainment costs and arm and a leg, so we're enjoying lazy days at home reading, blogging, and playing with Joelle.

I've enjoyed snapping photos here and there as we walk around, but the heat drives us to keep moving and not linger in one spot too long.

These kids are out playing in the street and wave to us every day.  The little girls blow kisses!

Perhaps the most well-recognized icon of Bangkok: the Tuk-Tuk.
We get a kick out of sharing our "first time foreigner" stories with other travelers.  Our first Tuk-Tuk experience, we get in the Tuk-Tuk and take off. The chatty driver said "ok, I take you there, just need to stop at friend's store."  So we thought, eh, no big deal, he will just make a stop on the way. No. He went way out of the way to drive us to his friend's silk shop where he told us to get out and take a look around.
?
We felt compelled to take a look, but the owner was so pushy, and asked for Scott's measurements to make a suit. We quickly were like what in the world just happened? Finally, we left without buying anything, much to the silk shop owner's disappointment.  But we did find out why the detour: the silk shop owner was offering to buy a free liter of gas for any driver who brought foreigners by. Ha!


 Now we try to say street names and numbers in Thai so they think we know what we're doing. haha.  Thai has a really low even tone, for instance, the number 8 sounds like baaat.  We try to say it over and over again: "Soi baaat. Soi baat."  Finally the driver will say, "Ooh, you mean soi baat."
hmph.
I just said that!



These kids remind me of my brother and me when we were little kids.  I feel like we could find anything and make it fun.  Outside all day, no TV, no video games or fancy toys. Those were the days.

The place we're staying looks like a mini rain forest.  Feels like one, too.  Outside our living room window is a banana tree with a big bunch of green bananas hanging from it!

We passed our friends one day while  playing soccer.

Scott joined in the fun, and the kids were delighted.

Our favorite thing on the street: ice cold fresh fruit, ready to eat. Papaya, mango, cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapple and a few crazy looking tropical fruits I don't know how to say.
 This is our coconut guy.  He has coconuts sitting in ice-water, and when you buy one, he cracks a hole in the top and slips a straw in. There's nothing like fresh coconut milk!

Scott's favorite mid-night Thai snack: mango sticky rice.  It's sweet rice, with mango slices and coconut milk on top.
 

Thai shishkabobs

Random picture warning!
I liked all the texture in this wall, so I took a shot.

Scott gets his hair cut by this guy every time we're here.  There's also a cute old man that shuffles around cutting hair and cleaning the utensils.  We usually find him in the barber chair snoozing, but this day he was ambling around cutting hair.

 I think Thai is the most beautiful script in the world!

Another random picture! I'm having a texture spell, lately.
 uh oh, here's another one.
 and just one more.

So life is slow and easy in Bangkok. We've had giant rainstorms the last two days, so no more soccer for now, unless we invent a puddle version.

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