Bye Bye Thailand...

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Chinatown, a densely populated area of Bangkok will be our home for the last 24 hours that we are in Thailand. Our hotel is immaculate and luxurious, with four poster beds draped with colorful Chinese silk and dimly lit lanterns dangle from our stained glass walls. The Shanghai Inn is deceivingly quiet, as just three floors below, shoulder to shoulder mobs of people bustle through the nosiy, narrow streets. Many of the thin alleyways that form the Chinatown network specializes in different commodities/oddities ranging from funerary paraphernalia, bulk Hello Kitty cargo, spices, gold jewelry, and the most curious streetway which displayed medicinal items like tiger teeth and petrified snakes, geckos, and seahorses. Maybe I'll bring someone back a "special" souvenir =). Our walk through the streets led us to another larger temple, this one housing the world's largest solid gold Buddha. Nicole got yelled and scowled at for not removing her shoes...our first cultural faux pas. I stared in awe as devout patrons kneeled below Buddha in intense prayer, then gave gifts of incense, bhat, and floral wreaths at the alter. Thailand is such a spiritual nation with spiritual exhibitions as commonplace as Starbucks in America.

Livin it up one last time in Bangkok...

As we headed down to Siam Square for dinner at the Hardrock Bangkok, we agreed to check out Q-Bar in Sukhumvit, an upscale exclusive area of Bangkok. However, our plans quickly changed when, after dinner, Nicole and I got sucked in to Siam Square's night market. Blankets piled high with trendy Thai clothing, jewelry, and accessories were calling our names and our plan to sweat it up at Q-Bar was easily abandoned in favor of shopping. 2 hours later, plenty of negotiating, and about ten t-shirts later, Nic and I called it a night and kissed downtown Bangkok goodbye.


In a couple of hours, Nicole and I will say farewell to The Land of Smiles. I have developed a deep appreciation for the Thai people and culture and take with me so many indescribable experiences. But, I am ready to finally meet India. I will update you all about our Mumbai adventures soon...

take care
alys

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Photos

Our SWEET Hotel Room
Sleeping in luxury in Chinatown

Siam Square, Bangkok
One of THE MANY images of the King

Chinatown
Busy Busy!

Floral
Hand strewn floral wreaths used as offerings to Buddha. We kept ours.

Praying Hands
Very thankful for my diversionary faux engagement ring.

Kitty!
Our first Siamese temple cat in Siam! Meow

Buddha
World's largest solid gold Buddha in Chinatown, Bangkok