The Spirit of the World ( On and Off)
Thailand (9)
(Continuation of story)
When one entered Lucy’s Tiger Den, one saw a long bar with dusty pictures of hard and nasty crazy men hanging on the walls. The old jukebox was to the right with such classics like “Walk Of Life."
Tiger was usually there in his wheel chair. He had succumbed to diabetes after a hard life of drinking and life in the fast lane. He had lost a leg, but not his kindness and generosity. He knew how it was to be down and out and showed this when he offered all of us a free hobo meal on Friday nights. I was very appreciative because I was still on a limited budget.
Standing at the bar would be Allan Dawson who was a writer for the Bangkok Post, the English speaking newspapers that ex pats read in Thailand. He had previously worked for AP and was in Saigon when it fell in 1975. He was a Canadian citizen and managed to stay in country after North Vietnam captured the city. He had written a classic book of these days entitled, FIFTY-FIVE DAYS AFTER. His true claim to fame, however, was the guru of Vietnam War trivia. He was a walking encyclopedia.
Chatting with him, one would find Jason Schoonover, a very slender man who gave tours of Chinese brothels in Bangkok. Both of these adventurous souls had a big brother appeal for me and helped me stay safe and connected in a city prone to coups.
One day Jason appeared at Tiger’s. He had a loose adventurer’s shirt on like the ones that Earnest Hemingway was fond of wearing. I called him an emaciated Earnest Hemingway. We laughed and joked and then he pulled out a letter and read it aloud. He had been inducted into the Explorer’s Club in the United States. I was shocked. I learned then that besides leading a life of debauchery that he went on archeological expeditions around Asia. For example, he was an expert on the devil masks of Sri Lanka, a country he explored regularly. And now he was very famous among the true adventurers in the western world of explorers.
Holding court at the end of the bar in one of the booths, was Jack Shirley the resident CIA operative in Bangkok. His identity was hardly a secret. Among the others who congregated there were Air American pilots, mercenaries and other soldiers of fortune. It was a dangerous and very rowdy crowd. I was careful not to wear out my welcome and not to be a fussy woman. This was a man’s bar, pure and simple.
One Air America pilot named Al told me what he had done right after he arrived in Thailand. He had read extensively of Jim Thompson and had to personally find out what happened to the spy. He had traveled to Malaysia and to the Cameron Highlands. He spoke with people who were still alive who lived close by where Thompson had disappeared. One man claimed that he saw the America walk calmly toward a helicopter that landed, get in and fly away. What a fitting way for the mystery to end in my mind. I have never heard of this account again, but some how I believe that Al solved the mystery.
The image is of a demon holding the Grand Palace in its protection. The superstitious Thai people believe in ghosts and spirits. This demon represents the powerful ancient spirits of nature protecting the countries most important building.
For me, this image represents the mysterious world of Bangkok and haunting lure it has for Westerners! If one lingers long enough in the country, one begins to question what is reality.
Thailand (9)
(Continuation of story)
When one entered Lucy’s Tiger Den, one saw a long bar with dusty pictures of hard and nasty crazy men hanging on the walls. The old jukebox was to the right with such classics like “Walk Of Life."
Tiger was usually there in his wheel chair. He had succumbed to diabetes after a hard life of drinking and life in the fast lane. He had lost a leg, but not his kindness and generosity. He knew how it was to be down and out and showed this when he offered all of us a free hobo meal on Friday nights. I was very appreciative because I was still on a limited budget.
Standing at the bar would be Allan Dawson who was a writer for the Bangkok Post, the English speaking newspapers that ex pats read in Thailand. He had previously worked for AP and was in Saigon when it fell in 1975. He was a Canadian citizen and managed to stay in country after North Vietnam captured the city. He had written a classic book of these days entitled, FIFTY-FIVE DAYS AFTER. His true claim to fame, however, was the guru of Vietnam War trivia. He was a walking encyclopedia.
Chatting with him, one would find Jason Schoonover, a very slender man who gave tours of Chinese brothels in Bangkok. Both of these adventurous souls had a big brother appeal for me and helped me stay safe and connected in a city prone to coups.
One day Jason appeared at Tiger’s. He had a loose adventurer’s shirt on like the ones that Earnest Hemingway was fond of wearing. I called him an emaciated Earnest Hemingway. We laughed and joked and then he pulled out a letter and read it aloud. He had been inducted into the Explorer’s Club in the United States. I was shocked. I learned then that besides leading a life of debauchery that he went on archeological expeditions around Asia. For example, he was an expert on the devil masks of Sri Lanka, a country he explored regularly. And now he was very famous among the true adventurers in the western world of explorers.
Holding court at the end of the bar in one of the booths, was Jack Shirley the resident CIA operative in Bangkok. His identity was hardly a secret. Among the others who congregated there were Air American pilots, mercenaries and other soldiers of fortune. It was a dangerous and very rowdy crowd. I was careful not to wear out my welcome and not to be a fussy woman. This was a man’s bar, pure and simple.
One Air America pilot named Al told me what he had done right after he arrived in Thailand. He had read extensively of Jim Thompson and had to personally find out what happened to the spy. He had traveled to Malaysia and to the Cameron Highlands. He spoke with people who were still alive who lived close by where Thompson had disappeared. One man claimed that he saw the America walk calmly toward a helicopter that landed, get in and fly away. What a fitting way for the mystery to end in my mind. I have never heard of this account again, but some how I believe that Al solved the mystery.
The image is of a demon holding the Grand Palace in its protection. The superstitious Thai people believe in ghosts and spirits. This demon represents the powerful ancient spirits of nature protecting the countries most important building.
For me, this image represents the mysterious world of Bangkok and haunting lure it has for Westerners! If one lingers long enough in the country, one begins to question what is reality.