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Hired a car for 1600 baht to take us to Lopburi. Note cabalistic drawings on ceiling of cab over driver.

Lopburi. Tan smear in the distance is Bangkok. People at bus stop waiting with handkerchiefs over their mouths. Caravans of trucks going south carrying dirt.

Friday, 5.25.90

Oriental Hotel. Sumptuous, but not as impressive as I wished it to be. The bellboy was snooty about our hanging around the lobby ("VIP! VIP!" he scolded.) We put away our cameras and walked confidently to the Authors wing. It did not shimmer with polished brass -- was nicely subdued, but still, not a Real Place. People not impressive -- noticed only one fat middle-aged blonde with glasses and red lipstick. Bellboy tried to shoo us away because of "the VIPs" (nervous laugh).

Suddenly, I could no longer bear sidling my way through one more antique shop while the salespeople were so attentive they managed to block the way. My feet ached. I felt teary, premenstrual. We stopped for lunch -- a real refresher -- green papaya salad. Then for our mutual sanity we split up -- I hiked all the way back to the Windsor Hotel -- an hour and 20 minutes -- maybe 4-5 miles. Silom to Rama IV to Witthayu to Ploen Chit to Sukhumvit. Bangkok is as dirty as NYC but not as psychopathic -- although cars show no courtesy whatsoever for pedestrians.