Thailand (Pt 3 of 3) – Bangkok
The beaches of Ranong Province gave me a nice tan to take to Bangkok. A tan for me is a few shades shy of being a shadow. Slightly burnt, I readied myself for the capital of Thailand. The trip from Bang Ben to Ranong was an eight hour affair that took use through large coconut and rubber plantations, and even some rice patties. Thailand is where 80% of the world’s supply of rice originates. Thailand must also be where the majority of 7-Eleven gets its money because at every gas station there was famous convenient store. They had everything that 7-Eleven has to offer: snacks, magazines and Slurpees. Dried squid and shrimp powder replaced the more common American snacks, but they displayed the same colorful packaging that entices you to buy the products. Dried squid and ice cream is a bad brew when on a curvy mountain road.
Bangkok and many of the large towns encountered along the way were highly developed and modern; as defined by cleanliness, organization and amount of livestock dung on the road. Exporting tons of rice and having nice beaches has enabled Thailand to build a capital city that can compete with the best of them. The Department of Transportation in Bangkok has the strenuous task of moving 64 million people, and even with a tram, monorail, subway and public bus system, we were stuck in traffic at 6:00pm on Sunday. After the short stint in gridlock, we checked into our rooms and escaped the sweltering humidity. I’d rather be toasting in dry heat than watch beads of sweat erupt from the pores as a reminder that evaporation has no home in humidity.
We spent two nights in Bangkok and most of the time was spent at Chulalongkorn University where we met with our Thai collaborator. The university is the second largest in Thailand and has a unique building called the Edutainment Center (education + entertainment). Full of shops and restaurants, this mall on school grounds is quite the attraction. When asked what part of the Edutainment Center was responsible for the education, I was told that there is a book store on the third floor.
With all of the venomous snakes in Thailand, The Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute and Snake Farm in Bangkok was constructed to provide a source of antivenin for snake bite victims. The institute exhibits the county’s diversity of snakes and has a snake handling show. What sets this tourist trap apart from others is the venom research and extraction, the latter of which is viewable by the public. During our session, two cobras were “milked”. Venom is extracted by grabbing a snake behind the head and allowing it to bite a thin membrane that covers a vile. Venom drops into the vile and the snake is released. The handlers free-handled the cobras without the help of any sticks or hooks. The cobras were lifted out of plastic boxes by their tails and placed on a table. When the snake was facing away from the handler, he slowly eased his hand over the hooded head and pinned it down. Less than a minute elapsed, but the 15mg of golden venom produced may grant someone another chance at life.
A copperhead ratsnake was exhibited during the snake handling session. This one was about 6-7 feet long, but no scale on earth could measure its tenacity. While wrapped around the arm of the handler, it flattened its neck and bared its teeth. The sight was similar to the one I experienced in Bang Ben. Surprisingly, the ratsnake never bit the handler’s arm, but it was not shy about lunging for his face. I encountered another ratsnake, but this one was inside a large wire meshed enclosure. Inside the enclosure were a pool, large wooden log and several plants. The entire exhibit was about 30-40 feet long and about 15 feet wide. You had to push your face against the mesh to see anything beyond the dime-size holes. While moving around the enclosure, we startled a 4-5 foot long black ratsnake that sped away and then stopped. It had run into an obstacle that came in the form of a large king cobra. The king cobra was startled and displayed his annoyance by spreading its hood and rearing up to face the intruder. After a few rhythmic motions, the ratsnake fled into a bush and the king cobra resumed its rest, perhaps dreaming of the meal it would have later in the day.
Street vendors every two feet, food markets with unidentifiable foods and wild rides on the small rocket propelled tuk-tuks made Bangkok an enjoyable destination. The short period in the city has whetted my desire to return and see the many sites that I missed. For anyone looking for that “wow-factor”, make a beeline for Thailand.
The beaches of Ranong Province gave me a nice tan to take to Bangkok. A tan for me is a few shades shy of being a shadow. Slightly burnt, I readied myself for the capital of Thailand. The trip from Bang Ben to Ranong was an eight hour affair that took use through large coconut and rubber plantations, and even some rice patties. Thailand is where 80% of the world’s supply of rice originates. Thailand must also be where the majority of 7-Eleven gets its money because at every gas station there was famous convenient store. They had everything that 7-Eleven has to offer: snacks, magazines and Slurpees. Dried squid and shrimp powder replaced the more common American snacks, but they displayed the same colorful packaging that entices you to buy the products. Dried squid and ice cream is a bad brew when on a curvy mountain road.
Bangkok and many of the large towns encountered along the way were highly developed and modern; as defined by cleanliness, organization and amount of livestock dung on the road. Exporting tons of rice and having nice beaches has enabled Thailand to build a capital city that can compete with the best of them. The Department of Transportation in Bangkok has the strenuous task of moving 64 million people, and even with a tram, monorail, subway and public bus system, we were stuck in traffic at 6:00pm on Sunday. After the short stint in gridlock, we checked into our rooms and escaped the sweltering humidity. I’d rather be toasting in dry heat than watch beads of sweat erupt from the pores as a reminder that evaporation has no home in humidity.
We spent two nights in Bangkok and most of the time was spent at Chulalongkorn University where we met with our Thai collaborator. The university is the second largest in Thailand and has a unique building called the Edutainment Center (education + entertainment). Full of shops and restaurants, this mall on school grounds is quite the attraction. When asked what part of the Edutainment Center was responsible for the education, I was told that there is a book store on the third floor.
With all of the venomous snakes in Thailand, The Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute and Snake Farm in Bangkok was constructed to provide a source of antivenin for snake bite victims. The institute exhibits the county’s diversity of snakes and has a snake handling show. What sets this tourist trap apart from others is the venom research and extraction, the latter of which is viewable by the public. During our session, two cobras were “milked”. Venom is extracted by grabbing a snake behind the head and allowing it to bite a thin membrane that covers a vile. Venom drops into the vile and the snake is released. The handlers free-handled the cobras without the help of any sticks or hooks. The cobras were lifted out of plastic boxes by their tails and placed on a table. When the snake was facing away from the handler, he slowly eased his hand over the hooded head and pinned it down. Less than a minute elapsed, but the 15mg of golden venom produced may grant someone another chance at life.
A copperhead ratsnake was exhibited during the snake handling session. This one was about 6-7 feet long, but no scale on earth could measure its tenacity. While wrapped around the arm of the handler, it flattened its neck and bared its teeth. The sight was similar to the one I experienced in Bang Ben. Surprisingly, the ratsnake never bit the handler’s arm, but it was not shy about lunging for his face. I encountered another ratsnake, but this one was inside a large wire meshed enclosure. Inside the enclosure were a pool, large wooden log and several plants. The entire exhibit was about 30-40 feet long and about 15 feet wide. You had to push your face against the mesh to see anything beyond the dime-size holes. While moving around the enclosure, we startled a 4-5 foot long black ratsnake that sped away and then stopped. It had run into an obstacle that came in the form of a large king cobra. The king cobra was startled and displayed his annoyance by spreading its hood and rearing up to face the intruder. After a few rhythmic motions, the ratsnake fled into a bush and the king cobra resumed its rest, perhaps dreaming of the meal it would have later in the day.
Street vendors every two feet, food markets with unidentifiable foods and wild rides on the small rocket propelled tuk-tuks made Bangkok an enjoyable destination. The short period in the city has whetted my desire to return and see the many sites that I missed. For anyone looking for that “wow-factor”, make a beeline for Thailand.
