Today I woke up to the sound of water. Fortunately it was just a neighbor taking a bath with a bucket of water out his window, but it sent chills down my spine. I ran downstairs - the streets were still dry. This is when I decided to set out and find this water. ((Don't worry, I'm being safe!)) I walked the way Ben and I used to walk to the river and couldn't seem to find the port. I knew I recongnized all the side streets, but every time I went for that last turn I was faced with a 10' wall. This must be the water barriers they have been talking about. So then I decided to see if Sukhumvit Road was flooded. I walked for over six hours today through the center of Bangkok - no signs of flooding. Besides the apparent exodus of all Thai business peole, there were still the tourists out taking pictures of the sandbags that have flooded the center. News reports say that the high tide wasn't quite as high as they expected, but if all the dykes stay secure we may be ok. High tide again in 30 minutes. And the waiting game continues. The PM says that Bangkok's waters should recede by next week, so if we can hang in there just a few more days... Also, word on the street is that these waters are NOT from storms (Thailand always has rain storms) they're due to the mismanagement of the dams in the north. Damages are ranging in the billions and nearly 400 people are dead.
Pictures from my walk...
Making sandbags...
Boats in the canal.
Just discovered these intricate notes on the concrete pillars supporting the highway, down by the canal.
Empty streets and store fronts closed by Ekkamai.
Water deliveries to Jet-sip-rai.
Hoping we stay dry! Happy Halloween weekend.
ABA
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