Prices fluctuate wildly for these; we’ve seen them go from Bs. 20/hour to Bs. 300/hr. This particular one was quite reasonable, and though they claim to open at 9:00 am, they really don’t, and remain open till 2:00am. They are situated on one of the main drags which crosses the night market, and the majority of people that streamed in were backpackers.

It was dreadfully hot that morning, and we wanted to get our business taken care of immediately so that our day would go uninterrupted. It was marvelous to find iced bottled water there, along with a wider menu of other beverages like cappuccino, espresso, latté, hot and cold coffees, and frappuccino.

Amazingly, all 15 or so terminals were outfitted with the latest version of Windows XP. Actually, why am I surprised, when the cost of software here is tantamount to buying pantyhose? There had been some difficulty initially in getting the system started, and this was not enhancing my mood in any manner. Chuck opted for going next door to look at magazines and postcards and purchased a newspaper. Once we were both able to get online, things went much smoother, and the shop began to fill up with what appeared to be regulars as they addressed each other by first name.

This is yet another argument for the ownership of web based email. Once again, I found that the majority had hotmail (the same in Istanbul). Except here, there was no confusion with strange characters on the keyboard. And apparently, the email messages translated perfectly well when they reached their destination. Which is not what exactly happened when I tried from Osaka.

By the way, Loi Kroh Road is reputed for having an entire row of bars in one section of the street which have developed a reputation as sex bars. One can apparently go in for a drink and leave with a Thai girl for about Bs. 1000. I was told however, that for the hardcore sex scene, nothing beats Bangkok.