Buddhas On The Move

OK so I know all things from God are good and I never doubt that. You all saw my first post about being in Bangkok and how uncomfortable I was, remember that post? Anyway, at that moment, my co-worker Karl, was scheduled to leave Bangkok today, Saturday morning. His time here was supposed to be done.

Well he was asked to stay until Tuesday which he agreed to openly. When he told me this news, I told him this was God's way of giving me someone to walk around with to protect me, as I was resolved to stay in my room the entire weekend as Karl would be gone and Deb and Tom are staying at another hotel, so unless they were going to come get me, I was not leaving this hotel. Anyway, that didn't happen. God had my back.

Saturday morning, 9am local time. The phone rings I pick it up:

Me: "Sawasdee Krab"
Karl: "What are you doing?"
Me: "Nothing just laying here"
Karl: "what do you want to do? Lets go out"
Me: "OK I need to shower"
Karl: "Why we are going on the streets of Bangkok" (laughter)
Me: "Cuz I need to wake up, give me half an hour"
Karl: "I am going to Starbucks, you want something?"
Me: "Do they have regular coffee?"
Karl: "Yes"
Me: "Ill take a large with cream only"

I shower and meet Karl in the lobby of the hotel and we begin our trek into Bangkok on foot. We end up going to Lumpini Park which is just across the street and take in all the beautiful sights and sounds it has to offer. There are people sleeping, sweeping, doing Tai Chi, practicing their Thai Fan dances, practicing karate, kids playing on the playground, there are lizards in the water (not deadly I later learn) and the Thai people just living out their Saturday in the park (another song reference Karl, LOL).

So we leave the park at the opposite end and Karl tells me we are walking on the road with all of the embassies from the different countries. We come upon the American Embassy and i proceed to take out my new Apple iPhone and center it to take a picture of the sign. Well the guard, who is Thai, comes over and says "No picture" and we start asking why not we only want the picture of the sign. Well the one guard calls over another guard from the guard house and speaks to him in Thai and the new guard says "no pictures" and asks to see my camera (phone). I think Oh great, hes going to confiscate my iPhone. Well I take it out and tell him I didn't take a picture and luckily all he wants is to see the pictures to make sure I didn't take any.

Phew I wipe my brow and we walk away and continue walking down the road. We come upon the American Ambassador's residence and no one is there around so I take a picture of that. (I told them huh?)

We continue walking about half a mile and we turn the corner. Then this Thai gentlemen comes up to us and asks us where we are from and what we are doing here and where we are going. Of course being the friendly Americans we are, we engage in conversation with him. We are Americans here on business going to see some friends at their hotel. He says "I am a policeman." He is in plainclothes so I ask if he is undercover and he says yes. Then he tells us his police station is right over there near the American Embassy and we make some more small talk and he goes in the opposite direction of where he and we were walking, back to the police station.

Karl deduces this man was sent to follow us and see what we were up to. Once he decided we weren't a threat, he let us go on our merry way.

Now I am getting a little paranoid. But we continue our walk. Then about half a mile up the road, another guy comes to us and asks us where we are from and we tell him, then he asks where we are going and we tell him and he follow us for a few feet, then drops back behind us. Now I am concerned. I said "Karl, lets get outta here". He calms my nerves by reminding me we did nothing wrong and we continue our trek to our friends hotel.

We get there and tell her the story of how two secret Thai police followed and questioned us and we all have a laugh about it.

The big joke now is that we are code named "Buddhas" and whenever we walk around now, the secret Thai police radio each other and say "Buddhas on the move, Buddhas on the move"

Jeez God, can you make this a little easier for me?, LOL!!!! This isn't just a job its an adventure.