Thai massage

A 90 baht ($3) tuk tuk ride brought us from the Reclining Buddha's temple to Khao San road, a commercial block that has been a hangout for low-budget backpackers for decades. Even though we were running out of time, we couldn’t pass up Charlie’s Massage, offering a 30 minute treatment for just 100 baht.

Some people were getting foot massages in the street, but we took off our shoes and were led up a stairway to a room filled with mattresses and pillows, covered with thin but clean sheets. There seemed to be an effort to pair up customers with technicians of similar size; and the reason quickly became obvious as the masseuse used her body weight to manipulate and lean into every limb and muscle of my body, starting with the feet and working up to the back, head and neck. Customers keep their clothes on and no oil is used. The accupressure was a bit strong at times, but it was very effective in melting away the pain and stress of the travel so far. Although it wasn’t exactly the atmosphere of a fancy spa, these hardworking people really should charge more for their services.

We had time to share a pitcher of Singha beer – only $6 – as we waited out a thunderstorm that washed out some of the heat and humidity in the air. The downpour left behind an even wash of sunlight, bringing an artistic glow to our tourist snapshots. By the time we negotiated our tuk tuk ride back to the hotel, we were bargaining like pros.


Like an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s “The Layover,” we had made the most of a short time in a city that really deserves a closer look.  I had started the day with the equivalent of $50 dollars and boarded the next plane with a few hundred baht still in my pocket, some regrets about not having shopped a bit more, and a resolve to visit again when I can stay longer. Now, for our group of six American journalists, it's on to the capital city of Pakistan, where the real work of our journalism exchange program will begin.