The Land of Smiles

Bangkok traffic.
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Bangkok is an amazing city, very metropolitan but if you just venture down the wrong block or look down the train tracks you see tragic lives.  I have really enjoyed my time here meeting new people and learning about real struggle.  I will try to revisit some the temple that I saw the last time that I was here.

There is something different about Bangkok, I noticed that there were a large number of Africans in the city.  Being African American myself, you kind of noticed when you see someone that looks like you. Two years ago I saw maybe 3 black people my entire two weeks here.  I just shrugged at this thing until my friend and I went to see a room at a different hotel.  Upon asking the receptionist if they had rooms to show she stated yes; I asked to see two different types.  The manager walked out and said something in Thai to the girl and then asked my friend and I where we were from.  This question in itself was an innocent question as it is the number one question that is asked when you are traveling.  But there was something different in the manager's tone and how she asked us this question.  We stated that we were from the USA and we inquired as to why she asked.  The receptionist at first grabbed two keys but she once the manager spoke she put one back.  She showed us one room and then told us that the room with two beds looks the same instead of showing it to us.

We would soon find out that what we just experienced was no coincidence.

We left that hotel with a very weird feeling, we just looked at each other and wondered what just happened.  We would soon find out that what we  experienced was not a coincidence.