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Yet
Bangkok is more than a treat for the eyes. it is a sensual feast
that envelopes you from the moment you set foot in it: Tiny
temple chimes set tinkling by a breeze, an April sky filled with
brightlycolored kites, the aroma of chicken being roasted by a
sidewalk vendor, fragrant garlands, orchids in rainbow colors,
pungent incense smoke spiraling out of a Chinese shrine, saffron-robed
monks chanting ancient sutras in the pale morning light and,
above all, the Thai smile and gracious manner. All these are
Bangkok, one of the few Asian cities that has retained its
"Asianess" in a rapidly changing world.
Not
that its charms are immediately apparent. The sights that greet
the first-time visitor are hardly likely to enchant him. Ribbons
of concrete plunge like daggers through the city's heart, tall
buildings dwarf the Buddhist stupas, the sounds of a gentle
people are lost beneath the road of traffic. On first encounter,
it seems to be a city strangling in the throes of development.
Except for a few sections, it looks very much like any other
modern city. Plucked down in a busy thoroughfare hemmed by tall
buildings, one is hard put to know where he is; only the curly-que
lettering on the signs tells him he isn't in Los Angeles or some
other Western metropolis.
In
1902, intrepid traveler J.G.D. Cambell expressed feelings that
are just as appropriate today: "The expectant visitor...will
probably derive much disappointment from his first experience of
Bangkok. His earliest acquaintance will most probably be with a
long, dingy, squalid road running for several miles lined on
both sides with third rate Chinese shops and throng with
Asiatics of every hue and costume, a perfect bedlam... (Yit)
with further knowledge, Bangkok will win his affections."
Not a lot has changed in the years since, including the
postscript which reveals the author's ultimate feelings and sums
up Bangkok for most visitors.
As
Mr. Campbell discovered, Bangkok is not a philosopher's city, it
is a realm of the senses. Those who surrender to their senses,
who ignore the surface and thereby pass through walls, are
rewarded by a wealth of sensations Its layout, its edifices
ancient and modern, its activities and makes exploring a journey
of sweet anticipation.
The
mundane facts reveal little about Bangkok. It covers an area of
626.1 square miles (1,565.2 square km) and has a population of
5,468,915 souls (1986 statistics). Located 14 degrees north of
the equator, it lies on the same latitude as Madras, Khartoum,
Guatemala City, Guam and manila, Like them, its climate ranges
from tepid to torrid. The sun in its eternal peregrination is
the single most important element shaping the moods and modes of
its people and daily life. Since 1782, Bangkok has been Thailand's
capital.
However,
these facts tell you little. Bangkok is a city of extremes and
superlatives, a city you do not react to indifferently. Recently
declared the world's hottest city by the World Meteorological
Organization, it also boasts the world's longest name-Krung-thep-maha-nakorn-boworn-ratana-kosin
mahintar-ayudhya-amaha-dilok-pop-nopa-ratana-rajthani-burirom-udom-rajniwes-mahasatarn
-amorn-pimarn-avatar-satit-sakattiya-visanukam. Not
surprisingly, only a handful of Thais can remember such a
mouthful, although the abbreviated translation of the whole is a
relatively brief "Jewelled city of the god Indra."
However, most Thais simply refer to it as Krung Thep,
City Angels.
Bangkok
is unique among Thai towns. It is as far removed from the rest
of Thailand as, say, New York City is from Dubuque, Iowa. It is
an island in a sea of green rice fields, a Monk St. Michel
surrounded by hinterlands. Understanding it will help little in
understanding the rest of Thailand.
If
Thailand is shaped like an elephant's
head, then Bangkok is the beasts gold tooth. It is figuratively
and laterally the epicenter of the nation. With a population 50
times greater than the country's second largest city, it
dominates all political, commercial, religious and social
activity in Thailand. Few capital cities enjoy such primacy.
The
seasons run from hot (March-June), to monsoon (July-No-vember)
to blissfully cool (December-February). The air is perpetually
humid but its hothouse climate makes possible its lush plant
life and the flowers that perfume the night air. Its warmth
makes pleasant an evening in a garden restaurant, suffuses the
golden temples with glowing beauty and permeates the sunny
dispositions of its people.
What
is it about Bangkok that fascinates visitors? Its color, its
chaos, its contrasts. It is the highs of temple architecture and
graceful dances, the lows of the rawest forms of nightlife. It
is the fabulous variety of food and the appealing differences
between a rowdy city and gentle people.
Bangkok
explodes around you, challenging each of your senses, involving
you in a way that few cities can. You are never at a lost for
things to do in it. It is a hedonists delight that can be
explored on a number of levels, from the exalted to the mundane.
It is a city of rich and poor people, of fragrances, flowers and
the fetid stench of stagnant canals. It is the pleasure of an
afternoon by the pool and the discomfort of the searing heat
that burns the air and bakes the pavements.
In
short, it is an experience you cannot ignore. Mr. Campbell was
right on target all those years ago-Bangkok is a city that doesn't
rally try to, but ultimately wins your affections nevertheless.
And, as you discover long after you have returned home, the
feeling pervades your very being, its heart becoming your heart. |
