MotoASIA_2013-14

6. Street scenes, old BMW's, and working people.

An Asian metropolis such as Bangkok is jam packed with intense street life which we, as Westerners, are not well equipped to comprehend. The more I walk the city, the more unusual scenes I encounter, and the less I understand. In ten minutes on the street of this city you are exposed to more entertaining, disturbing, beautiful, and/or questionable visual experiences than in two years in the little Midwestern town I call home.

Without using too many words in this post I suggest to just browse the photographs, enjoy and wonder.

All kinds of deep-fried little delicacies, some vegetarian, some filled with mystery meat.
Thais love to snack.

I have to admit that I personally like Foie Gras, maybe even on a Hamburger. But to put this ad in a restaurant window into perspective: The equivalent cost of this burger (about $21) in one of Bangkok's hi-so malls can easily feed ten people in a regular restaurant or street stall, without beer.

Hmmm?

My motorcycle's grand-daddies in a copy-shop. Two BMW R 50/2, maybe 1962. 4-stroke flat two-cylinder, 494 cc, 26 hp. The lady who was present at the shop couldn't tell me anything to the story behind the bikes since her boss was away on this weekend.
Bangkok has two BMW motorcycle dealerships, another two in the cities of Phuket (my next destination, if I ever get my motorcycle out of the NYK warehouse) and one in Chiang Mai in the north, also a destination on my trip.

Soi Vanit 2, Talad Noi neighborhood.
This is a tiny street lined with diverse shops, repairing, selling all kinds of engine parts. The piles stack up more than 3 meters along the busy alley, cages with parrots and other birds are attached to the awnings..