The Burning Season

My lease expired on Wednesday and rather than extend it for a week (Headed to California on the 14th), I decided to escape Chiang Mai’s ‘Burning Season’ and spend the final few days of my Thailand holiday in Bangkok.  Before this trip, I had never experienced ‘Burning Season’ but had heard horror stories from others.  The choking smog and poor visibility stem from the (somewhat) organized burning of  old crops and overgrowth to make room for the new batch.  I’m used to Chiang Mai’s bright sunny skies and breathtaking views of lush green mountains, but for the past few weeks it was like living in a smokey cloud.

No thanks, let’s go somewhere else.

I booked a condo on Airbnb in the heart of Sukhumvit road and flew down to Bangkok on Wednesday morning.  Condo looks as good as advertised, only problem is that there isn’t an optimal place to grind.  While I’ve got a desk in both the living room and the bedroom, the only chair that fits has no back support.  Can’t grind from the couch either as there’s no place to put the laptop, which leaves the kitchen table as my best option.  It’s fine, I guess — the high chairs are somewhat uncomfortable and I’m nervous about an errant first breaking the glass table top, but let’s just hope that doesn’t happen.

Although I do plan on putting in a few hours each day at the tables, the point of my excursion isn’t to sit at my computer and grind all day.  I don’t see myself coming back to Thailand in the near future (and if I did I’d likely choose Chiang Mai), so I don’t know when I’ll have another opportunity to see Bangkok.  I’ve compiled a list of all of food I needed to eat and  touristy things I wanted to do, both of which are largely thanks to my friends who’ve lived here in the past.

Won’t waste any more time typing, need to get out and explore.  Stay tuned for the trip report, coming in a few days!