Sophie left yesterday to go down south. We spent her last day here going to the Chiang Mai Zoo. It was okay as zoos go. I’m not a big fan of them anyway.
We had a drink at the guesthouse while we waited for her bus. Then once again I was travelling alone. I stayed at the bar drinking (water) and chatting to a couple german men and a british man. They seem to be the only other people staying at my guesthouse apart from a Danish guy who I had seen earlier in the day. We chatted for a bit, and suddenly a lot of odd things that I noticed earlier were completely making sense. This simply wasn’t just a backpacker’s guesthouse. If you looked closely enough you would have noticed the odd feelings that were nagging me. For instance, there were no women staying there lone for Sophie and myself; there were older men and a stream of young thai men coming and going. Not to mention the fact the cashier asked Sophie and I if we wanted one or two beds when we checked in. Then of course on the signage of the bar, The Rainbow Room, where discretion comes to meet or something weird like that.
And reality really sunk in when I boldly asked the Brit and one of the Germans what the heck was going on, and just what kind of guesthouse I was staying in. They confirmed that they were both gay and looked at me incredulously as if I were an idiot not to know. And that they found this particular guesthouse on the internet which welcomes alternative lifestyles. And if this wasn’t enough, I got to witness first hand a transaction going down. The Brit explained to me the going rates and other sordid details. I guess I shouldn’t have been so shocked but it was just so unexpected!