People and Dogs

People:

The people of Thailand have been so genuinely friendly and helpful. Numerous times locals have come up to us to ask us where we are from and give advice about what sites to see. One man even negotiated for a tuk tuk driver to take us around to 5 different sites in Bangkok over the course of 4 hours for 100 baht (about 3 dollars).

Several people back home had expressed concern for us because of the political unrest in Thailand and the recent bombings in Mumbai, but we have not felt unsafe here at all. Thailand is very dependent on their tourist industry, and everyone we have encountered thus far has bent over backwards to make sure that we, the tourists, are enjoying our stay…and, we are!

Dogs:

There are stray dogs and cats everywhere in Thailand. Initially, you feel bad for all of these animals roaming the streets, but I actually think that they have a good life. They spend most of the day sleeping in the sun, they are relatively safe in their own territory, and there are plenty of food scraps available for consumption.

Several times I have seen a dog or group of dogs with big, goofy smiles on their faces, trucking down the street like nobody’s business. They just blend into the traffic of people, motorbikes, and tuk tuks. These dogs have freedom. They are not tied down by anything but the law of nature. I’d like to join them...