Care and Prepare Day

Yesterday was Care and Prepare Day for Buddy Lissy and me: our last day in Bangkok and we visited the dentist and had massages and also bought a Cambodia map planned out our first leg.

Because we are on a bicycle trip, allegedly, and we finally are ready to begin pedaling! I will tell you about our plan (my mother leans forward expectantly) but first about the other things.

The dentist: 
The office was the size of a large dorm room, and Buddy Lissy and I ducked in and asked if they had appointments available for a cleaning. "Now?" asked Mrs. Desk and before I could establish myself I was being shown behind a curtain, sat in a chair surrounded by three Thai women, and had towels laid over my face. They cleaned and polished and I was told I had no cavities. I paid 600 baht (equivalent of 20 dollars) and was on my way. They charge you 700 baht if you're dirty.

The massage:
Never having had a massage before, whether Thai or not, I had no idea what to expect. But for $4 an hour (!!!), how could I possibly not have one? A group of Thai women greeted Buddy Lissy and I from inside, and we took off our sandals, had our feet washed (I made a sound of delight and Mrs. Hands laughed as she scrubbed), and then padded upstairs into a series of mattresses smelling of menthol under dim lighting. We were given boxy cotton garments to wear and a cup and saucer of tea. Mrs. Hands began on my feet and measuredly worked her way all the way up to my scalp.

I've never been touched so thoroughly before by a stranger, and I was aware of a certain mental release I was going through to relax, become vulnerable, and enjoy sensations. This was massage-meets-chiropractor: she lifted my legs and pushed her knees into my hamstrings, pulled all my toes to crack them, turned me over and pushed heartily into my back, twisted my back using her own body as leverage and the room resounded in spinal cracks. The women quietly chattered good-naturedly in Thai, their sound lulling like birdsong. I wondered what they might be talking about, "this one is so long! White people are so tall...." or maybe, "well, mine has very interesting shoulder muscles...maybe she's worked on farms."

The plan: 
We've been in Bangkok 5 days, and while these five days have felt like an entire season, it's time to leave the fruit vendors, choking traffic, and beautiful earring-shopping behind. I bought probably a pound and a half of road snacks in eager preparation, unidentifiable yet I trust in their deliciousness, for about 3 dollars. Black sesame balls, something yellow hairy and sticky which I hope is pineapple candy, banana chips.

Bicycling out of Bangkok would be a few brutal hours of anonymous contorted traffic-clogged roads. Instead we are hopping on a train this afternoon for a small town outside the city to save ourselves. The town is, um, Changtoawanawanalalala, or something similar, on the east side of the city.  From there we will bike south and east along the Thailand coast to the Cambodia border. I expect this will take us 4 to 5 days. Internet has been plentiful and fast in Bangkok ($1/hr) and I expect at least some internet along the coast, but do not fret if you don't hear from me every 24 hours. I love writing and posting photos, though, which is why I'm taking a chunk of time this morning.