We’ve spent just under a week in Bangkok so far and are headed south on a sleeper train tonight to the island of Koh Samui. Before we depart, I want to share a few observations and notes on what we’ve seen here so far. (As always, more photos here.)
A few observations:
-> Thai people seem so happy! Passersby look at me almost expectantly and when I smile, they smile back! And their smiles take up their whole face, genuinely. Not like just the mouth-only smiles in the U.S. - clearly a nicety - these people seem to be smiling with emotion behind it.
-> There are cats everywhere and sometimes they enjoy a good petting. I take advantage of these situations and get my cat-fix met.
-> Water taxis are a veritable mode of public transportation. For the equivalent of 50 cents, you can go to anywhere along the river in a long boat that very efficiently offloads passengers.
-> The streets of Thailand are basically a meat fest. At nearly any point, you can stop and get BBQ'ed meat on a stick. Hot dogs, various other sausage-looking things, chicken, squid, fish, etc, etc., oh and bacon wrapped hot dogs, as well as many meats unknown to me, but they pretty much all always smell delicious. I haven’t succumb to the temptation yet, but I was close this morning.
-> 7-11s here are like Starbucks in the U.S. I'm in an internet cafe (a cafe called Internet Cafe actually) where next door there is a 7-11 across the street from another 7-11. We got directions to the boat taxi pier from our hotel as such: "at the first 7-11 cross the street until you reach the second 7-11, then turn right."
-> Thai iced tea on the street is amazing. I will attempt to capture a video of someone making it. There's something special about the crushed ice that makes it also amazing. That and sweetened condensed milk is nearly always glorious.
-> "Bangkok," by the way, is a nickname. It's full name (as we learned on the plane over) is the longest city name in the world. Here it is: Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit. In English, that is: City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Visvakarman at Indra's behest. (According to Wikipedia, which has a specific segment on it's name.)
Attractions:
*Wat Po (6.13)
Wat (Temple) Po is a large complex built around a gigantic reclining Buddha. At 46 meters long (that's over 120 feet), the gilded Buddha lays covered by an intricately decorated temple building. His feet are black with inlaid mother of pearl scenes depicting his journey to enlightenment. Each toe has concentric circles like toe prints. The interior walls of the building were painted with various scenes.
This particular temple is also home to the greatest number of representations (at least 1,000) of Buddha in all of Thailand, so not only are there walls that tell the story of his life, there are multiple other buildings that house dozens of golden statues of the Buddha, surrounded by even more murals.
The entry gates are watched over by towering stone-carved guardian figures holding swords dressed in warrior garb.
*Khao San (6.13)
Khao San is the main tourist thoroughfare of Bangkok - hosting bars that blare loud music, clubs offering live bands, and an eclectic mix of street vendors - everything from sarongs and dresses to grasshoppers and scorpions (for eating). Crepe makers, meat BBQ'ers, and pad thai on demand, cooked to your liking, and with meats of your choosing. At each end, there are a group of men hawking tuk tuk rides to "pussy markets" and the red light district.
*Grand Palace (6.14)
The Grand Palace is a rambling complex of temples, throne rooms, stupas, gardens, and royal residences. It's also home to the Emerald Buddha, a life size (?) green effigy that perches atop a pile of gold - a throne surrounded by other bodhisattvas (I assume).
*Chatuchak Weekend Market (6.15)
We took a boat taxi down the Chao Phraya River to the sky train stop, got on the sky train and arrived at the Chatuchak market for just under $2 each. Chatuchak is the world's largest weekend market - at over 35 acres, it attracts over 200,000 shoppers each day. The path from the market to the sky train station was lined with vendors selling toothbrush holders, skirts, BBQ'ed meat, iPhone covers, and everything in between. Right outside the market are food stands with lots of tables outside cooking delicious smelling meals. We grabbed a half-frozen chrysanthemum juice for 30 cents on the way in - a cold and sweet start. Inside we saw so many clothes - Thai and Indian styles, American brands, and lots of smaller stands with custom-made pieces. Tailors too with old-timey foot powered sewing machines. The weekend market was a maze of necklaces, bracelets, wallets, purses, rings, and high-end home decorations and furniture. After a quick snack, we happened upon the animal area: sugar gliders next to scorpions and iguanas. Adorable (but hot) kittens and puppies, baby rabbits. Throughout the day, we would spend a few minutes looking at wares, then went to the outskirts to grab some delicious grub, including: pad see ew (fat, fried rice noodles + veggies), a taro (sweet root veggie) waffle from the sky train station, freshly made coconut ice cream, pad thai, and coconut water. While we ate our coconut ice cream, we stood behind a fresh fruit vendor who was eating bugs out of a bag instead of her fruit. Still haven’t tried the bugs.
*Wat Arun (6.16)
This morning we boarded a boat taxi down the river and then transferred to a different boat that took us across the river for 10 cents each. We got off at Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan, or Wat Arun, a temple that is a relic from the former seat of power. The tower and surrounding stupas are decorated with mosaic pieces that look almost like shaped broken dishes –some with a familiar blue and white floral Chinese look to them. From afar, Arun looks gray, but up close and in the sun, you can see the glimmer and color of every piece of tile – a two-hundred-foot (86 m) tall tower mosaic stretching toward the heavens. Near the bottom of each of the main tower and four surrounding, smaller towers, there’s a row of guardians – holding the towers up and protecting them from ...something bad. Climbing the steep stairs was reminiscent of climbing Teotihuacan near Mexico City – the steep steps demand continuous attention and require a break at the top to catch your breath and balance. The main tower affords great views of the city, traffic on the river, and a different perspective of the four towers below. After we got back down and explored a little more, we followed the sound of chanting monks to a temple that, not surprisingly, was home to another large, golden Buddha.
Stay tuned for updates coming from the southern islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao.
A few observations:
-> Thai people seem so happy! Passersby look at me almost expectantly and when I smile, they smile back! And their smiles take up their whole face, genuinely. Not like just the mouth-only smiles in the U.S. - clearly a nicety - these people seem to be smiling with emotion behind it.
-> There are cats everywhere and sometimes they enjoy a good petting. I take advantage of these situations and get my cat-fix met.
-> Water taxis are a veritable mode of public transportation. For the equivalent of 50 cents, you can go to anywhere along the river in a long boat that very efficiently offloads passengers.
-> The streets of Thailand are basically a meat fest. At nearly any point, you can stop and get BBQ'ed meat on a stick. Hot dogs, various other sausage-looking things, chicken, squid, fish, etc, etc., oh and bacon wrapped hot dogs, as well as many meats unknown to me, but they pretty much all always smell delicious. I haven’t succumb to the temptation yet, but I was close this morning.
-> 7-11s here are like Starbucks in the U.S. I'm in an internet cafe (a cafe called Internet Cafe actually) where next door there is a 7-11 across the street from another 7-11. We got directions to the boat taxi pier from our hotel as such: "at the first 7-11 cross the street until you reach the second 7-11, then turn right."
-> Thai iced tea on the street is amazing. I will attempt to capture a video of someone making it. There's something special about the crushed ice that makes it also amazing. That and sweetened condensed milk is nearly always glorious.
-> "Bangkok," by the way, is a nickname. It's full name (as we learned on the plane over) is the longest city name in the world. Here it is: Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit. In English, that is: City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Visvakarman at Indra's behest. (According to Wikipedia, which has a specific segment on it's name.)
Attractions:
 |
| Buddhas at Wat Po |
Wat (Temple) Po is a large complex built around a gigantic reclining Buddha. At 46 meters long (that's over 120 feet), the gilded Buddha lays covered by an intricately decorated temple building. His feet are black with inlaid mother of pearl scenes depicting his journey to enlightenment. Each toe has concentric circles like toe prints. The interior walls of the building were painted with various scenes.
This particular temple is also home to the greatest number of representations (at least 1,000) of Buddha in all of Thailand, so not only are there walls that tell the story of his life, there are multiple other buildings that house dozens of golden statues of the Buddha, surrounded by even more murals.
The entry gates are watched over by towering stone-carved guardian figures holding swords dressed in warrior garb.
 |
| Bugs! For eating! On Khao San |
Khao San is the main tourist thoroughfare of Bangkok - hosting bars that blare loud music, clubs offering live bands, and an eclectic mix of street vendors - everything from sarongs and dresses to grasshoppers and scorpions (for eating). Crepe makers, meat BBQ'ers, and pad thai on demand, cooked to your liking, and with meats of your choosing. At each end, there are a group of men hawking tuk tuk rides to "pussy markets" and the red light district.
 |
| Buddha at the Grand Palace |
The Grand Palace is a rambling complex of temples, throne rooms, stupas, gardens, and royal residences. It's also home to the Emerald Buddha, a life size (?) green effigy that perches atop a pile of gold - a throne surrounded by other bodhisattvas (I assume).
 |
| Mangosteens, lychees and rambutans at the Chatuchak Market |
We took a boat taxi down the Chao Phraya River to the sky train stop, got on the sky train and arrived at the Chatuchak market for just under $2 each. Chatuchak is the world's largest weekend market - at over 35 acres, it attracts over 200,000 shoppers each day. The path from the market to the sky train station was lined with vendors selling toothbrush holders, skirts, BBQ'ed meat, iPhone covers, and everything in between. Right outside the market are food stands with lots of tables outside cooking delicious smelling meals. We grabbed a half-frozen chrysanthemum juice for 30 cents on the way in - a cold and sweet start. Inside we saw so many clothes - Thai and Indian styles, American brands, and lots of smaller stands with custom-made pieces. Tailors too with old-timey foot powered sewing machines. The weekend market was a maze of necklaces, bracelets, wallets, purses, rings, and high-end home decorations and furniture. After a quick snack, we happened upon the animal area: sugar gliders next to scorpions and iguanas. Adorable (but hot) kittens and puppies, baby rabbits. Throughout the day, we would spend a few minutes looking at wares, then went to the outskirts to grab some delicious grub, including: pad see ew (fat, fried rice noodles + veggies), a taro (sweet root veggie) waffle from the sky train station, freshly made coconut ice cream, pad thai, and coconut water. While we ate our coconut ice cream, we stood behind a fresh fruit vendor who was eating bugs out of a bag instead of her fruit. Still haven’t tried the bugs.
 |
| Towards the heavens at Wat Arun |
This morning we boarded a boat taxi down the river and then transferred to a different boat that took us across the river for 10 cents each. We got off at Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan, or Wat Arun, a temple that is a relic from the former seat of power. The tower and surrounding stupas are decorated with mosaic pieces that look almost like shaped broken dishes –some with a familiar blue and white floral Chinese look to them. From afar, Arun looks gray, but up close and in the sun, you can see the glimmer and color of every piece of tile – a two-hundred-foot (86 m) tall tower mosaic stretching toward the heavens. Near the bottom of each of the main tower and four surrounding, smaller towers, there’s a row of guardians – holding the towers up and protecting them from ...something bad. Climbing the steep stairs was reminiscent of climbing Teotihuacan near Mexico City – the steep steps demand continuous attention and require a break at the top to catch your breath and balance. The main tower affords great views of the city, traffic on the river, and a different perspective of the four towers below. After we got back down and explored a little more, we followed the sound of chanting monks to a temple that, not surprisingly, was home to another large, golden Buddha.
Stay tuned for updates coming from the southern islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao.
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