{"id":913,"date":"2012-01-25T01:36:18","date_gmt":"2012-01-25T11:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/?p=913"},"modified":"2016-01-13T04:49:49","modified_gmt":"2016-01-12T21:49:49","slug":"the-gift-of-sound-and-vision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/2012\/01\/25\/the-gift-of-sound-and-vision\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gift Of Sound And Vision"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for spectacle. But the Chinese New Year festivities in Bangkok were a staggering two-day sensory overload of such immensity as to leave me wondering whether there may not be anything the man-made world can offer that could possibly top it.<\/p>\n

Probably, that’s more the effect of the proximity than the fundamental reality. Even if so, it was one hell of an experience.<\/p>\n

The first day, Monday, began innocently enough near a temple entrance when this lady offered to let me release one of the cages full of birds for 100 Baht. Brings good luck, she said. Probably not<\/em> some kind of a scam, I didn’t think, as the Chinese are of course very superstitious. Even so, I declined the offer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Yoawarat Road had been closed off to traffic, the decorations had been hung…<\/p>\n

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…the finishing touches were being applied…<\/p>\n

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…and it was time to party like it was 2555! And in Bangkok, nothing says “party” like a massive street fair. And so, that’s exactly what we got.<\/p>\n

The food vendors were everywhere.<\/p>\n

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The Royal Thai Police were everywhere…<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>…and mostly appeared to be rather enjoying themselves.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The lions were everywhere.<\/p>\n

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The people-watching was straight-up phenomenal.<\/p>\n

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And, of course, the temples were filled to bursting.<\/p>\n

The only thing cooler than being in a place and not knowing what the hell is going on is being in a place and not knowing what the hell is going on in a language you don’t understand<\/em>. Just drop your jaw and soak it all in.<\/p>\n

Another case in point here — although even those that do<\/em> understand the language seemed wholly oblivious to the speaker’s exhortations.<\/p>\n

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