Bangkok (briefly)

So, in flying to my next destination, I had what was supposed to be a 7-hour layover in Bangkok. After doing a bit of research, I came to the dismaying conclusion that this was juuust short enough to make going into Bangkok city a bad idea (due to the horribly unpredictable traffic), and juuust long enough to be annoying.

But optimism prevailed! I had heard whisperings from some friends that Bangkok actually has massage spas in the airport itself. Having walked through plenty of malls in my lifetime, a plethora of images sprang into my mind: massage chairs positioned in the middle of the walkway, the water massage systems where you lie in a tarp like you're Shamu being relocated while you're jabbed unpredictably with sharp jets of water, etc. Curious, I began to wander.

And boy, was I in for a surprise.

They actually have proper spas operating as businesses in the airport. Lots of them. And they are dirt cheap. Because I had gobs of time to kill, I looked through their menu of services. 90-minute Thai massage? Yes please. They had individual rooms set up for the massages, and it was great. Being my first Thai massage, I didn't quite know what to expect. Now I know Thai = tiny person climbing all over you and bending you in half. Why yes, my spine is supposed to do that - thank you! I kid, of course. It was fantastic.

After my massage was over, I stumbled out of the spa and glanced at my watch. 5 hours to go. Hmph.

A brief pit stop at a Burger King helped kill a little more time. Yum.

Wandering through the airport a little more, I came across another spa. Actually, same spa, different location. This time I opted for a one-hour foot massage. I sat in a comfy reclining chair, they removed my shoes and socks, and wrapped my feet in a warm towel. I put on my headphones, closed my eyes, and nearly passed out. Heaven.

So, if you've been keeping track (and there isn't too much to keep track of, really), I have received two and a half hours of massage. Total cost for this layover pampering?

US$30.

No joke - I did the conversion in my head several times to make sure this was correct. It was. With about half of my time down, I proceeded toward my gate. There was no one there yet, obviously; I was 3 hours early.

And tiiiiiiiiime...goooooooes byyyyyy...so slowlyyyyyy...

Eventually, the gate opened and people began to arrive. The Bangkok airport is actually quite modern-looking, with large, curved, glass walls. Looking out through these glass panels, I began to see the rain pelt down upon them. Then a flash. Then, only a fraction of a second later, the cacophony of thunder. This was repeated every few seconds. It was one of the most spectacular thunderstorms I had seen. The downside, sadly, was that it was right above us, and we were not able to depart until it stopped.

2 hours went by before it finally did.

Tired, weary, but still too relaxed to care, I boarded the plane to Hyderabad, where I would experience the shock of my life.