Today something pretty
sweet happened, and it’s probably going to sound kind of wanky, writing it on
le blog, but it was truly amazing and Ann and I both left a part of our souls
in Bangkok because of it, and we were speechless (and for Ann to be speechless...well, that says a lot). In another
classic Moose Brooks situation, we headed to Golden Mountain one afternoon, as
it had an alleged sunset that would blow your socks off. We got there on time,
for sunset ya know, only to realise that it was closed. Classic.Then, on our way out as
dusk was setting in, we passed a monk wandering through the undergrowth, and he
beckoned us forward. Confused, we followed him. He didn't say a word, but led
us to a prayer room at the base of Golden Mountain…and under his instruction,
we took our shoes off, and took a seat inside. He invited us to pray with him
and a room full of other monks and Thais. For lack of a better word and general
ignorance, the ‘head monk’ read the readings and the whole room chanted along.
I’m not sure if you’re familiar with prayer sessions (nor am I tbh), but they are harmonious,
peaceful, sacred and very calming. For around about half an hour we sat there,
watching rows and rows of Buddhists cross-legged on the floor in front of us
praying. I am fearful of sounding like an ignorant, ill-informed white person,
but all I can do is sum it up saying that it was absolutely mesmerising, and
enchanting. Ann and I were asked to sign a book on the way out, and I was flicking through pages
and pages of names, to find not one Western name, nor a name written in English.
We walked out shakily, speechless at the energy, the passion and the sense of
healing and harmony that we had just been surrounded with; the deep chants echoing
off the walls and settling deep into our ear canals, the pure focus of everyone in the room, and the complete and utter
state of inner peace and tranquility. It was amazing, and we were super lucky
and privileged to have been a part of it.
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| Le sigh, ah Bangkok |
Perhaps you've seen the video. Bangkok is full of fish tanks that have hilarious signs trying to get you to self-sacrifice your feet for the fish.
"Mr fish can do
massage"
"Let hungry fish eat your dead skin!!! They are hungry!!!"
"Fish can do
massage pay and see for yourself!!!"
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| Khao San Rd nightlife....think The Hangover 2 kids, keep that in mind. |
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| Our breakfast hangout |
We wandered onto a
wharf one afternoon in Bangkok, and soon enough as any band-swagglin, young,
carefree backpackers might understand, around 15 minutes later we found
ourselves on a boat. We took a boat ride around the river canals of Bangkok,
seeing the parts of the city that many might usually bypass #myfavourite.
Houses built on
rickety concrete slabs, we passed shelters that were literally falling apart. We
saw lizards, fish and I swear to god snakes in the canals, and even feral dogs
that were roaming around the rocks. I saw (what I can now identify and defend
with all my might to ANNIE, who thought that I was talking smack)a HUGE water
monitor, which was as I CORRECTLY DESCRIBED about the size of a small
crocodile. I Googled those things man. They can be huge, up to 2.5 meters long
to be precise. It was a monstrosity of a sea monster, hiding out on the rocks. (And no the picture of the cute
little lizard in the peep hole is not the monster I saw, nor the same species). Google them. You'll see. you'll all see.
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| Freaking awesome |
We passed children
swimming freely in the river, the brown mucky water full of fish and rubbish
and a lot of other things that moved mysteriously under the current, and now –
small children. I couldn’t help but think of how something like this would not
go down at all in Western society AT ALL…kids’ immune systems couldn’t cope
with it…and we’d all get seriously ill if we even set foot in the water. It’s
like the Murray x100. But nonetheless these kiddos were having the time of
their lives, swinging from vines, jumping from roofs of houses, ect. And they
always stopped to wave and smile, and blow us kisses. These kis and their
families were living in the slums…like, the worst poverty I’ve born witness to
in my entire life. Yet, as always; so happy, so carefree…so joyful. It was
excellent experiencing a different side of Thailand, away from the swanky clubs
and market streets packed with Westerners. But it left a sour taste in our
mouths.
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| Our French friends of whom we became a part of their Go-pro film...they said it would end up in Youtube one day. We never even learnt their names. |
It was the first
time since arriving in Asia that I’d felt a true sense of guilt for being
Western. I’m not going to sit here and preach values and morals and ramble on
about being lucky or appreciating what we’ve got, or the opportunities we have
access to. Or why one person is born into a world full of education, employment,
wealth, and consumerism and others are not. We have the access to and the means
to literally achieve anything we
want. We have so much, yet require so little. Not to put a dreary spin on
things, but it’s unsettling, it’s contemplative, and the reality of it is disturbing.
