Tuk-Tuks Are Awesome

I've come to the conclusion that all road rules in Bangkok are entirely optional. This is except for red lights, which have timers for how long you have to wait, and how long the green lights will last.

We got to experience the sheer terror of riding in a tuk-tuk after our walk up the street was cut short by a nice policeman. He advised us that the area we were walking towards was blockaded by red-shirt protesters, and suggested we go shopping instead. He grabbed us a nearby tuk-tuk and negotiated a price for us, then sent us on our merry way.

It quickly turned out that "shopping" in Bangkok for tourists only consists of either purchasing jewellery or tailoring services. After the first place our tuk-tuk driver offered to take us on a sightseeing tour for an hour for 50 Baht. We then got to experience the sheer terror of driving in Bangkok as we saw the Wat Traimit Wittayaram Voraiharn (Traimit Royal Temple) with an enormous golden buddah statue (which is actually a gold painted stucco statue). We then checked out the river, and a sculpture store nearby with some giant lions, which Sancha made me pat.

We also found out why the tuk-tuk drivers keep pushing for you to go to the gem and tailoring places. Our driver had a card entitling him to 5 Litres of free gasoline which he got stamped at each of these stores for bringing tourists inside. He ended up taking us to another gem place and a tailors, which he got his card stamped at, and let us have the sightseeing for free. Needless to say since we overstuffed our bags we didn't buy anything further.

The entire experience was a little bizarre from an olfactory perspective. Speeding through the city, and weaving in and out of traffic my nose was assaulted by various smells in rapid succession. Smog, bread (Ooh! A bakery!), smog, barbecued meat (Mmm! Street food), smog, bus exhaust, river, more smog, satay, oh, surprise, more smog.