Bang! Bang!

That's the sound of a Bangkok tuk-tuk backfiring. The tuk-tuk, a relative of the Indian auto rickshaw (a.k.a scooter, or simply 'auto'), is a three-wheeled open-air taxi that plies the streets of Thai cities. Unlike the auto rattle, the tuk-tuk's big bore mufflers produce a throaty purr. It is, dare I say, a sexy sound. Also unique to the tuk-tuk is the laid-back 120 degree incline of the passenger seat.

Unfortunately, behind the wheel of these funky rides sit some of the shadier of human specimen. When they say the Grand Palace is closed, don't believe them. When they offer you a fair rate IF you stop by just one silk shop, flag a real taxi. And if they want to take you shopping for gems, just run away.

The State That I Am In

I seem to be all Drafts and no Posts lately. There are two unfinished Drafts entitled "About the Weather" and "About the Weather II" floating around in the ether, along with a couple other fragments that never coalesced into anything Post-worthy. After several months of fairly regular blog activity, I'm not entirely sure how to explain my recent writer's block. True, it does coincide with my departure from the Subcontinent and arrival in Thailand, but I don't think it's fair to say that Thailand is less inspiring... But fairness be damned, this IS my seventh visit here, and now that I think about it, Thailand is too damn nice to inspire me at the moment.