The land of smiles

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Despite the rough introduction to Bangkok, my next few days spent in the city were much more pleasant. While crazy energy is always filling the air, I managed to slip into its rhythms, avoid the sleazier parts of town, and find a few gems that put smiles on my face. Very appropriate for a country known as The Land of Smiles!

It's hot. I mean, it is so hot that you are soaking wet from the moment you step outside until long after the sun sets. Even the early morning hours don't bring a real respite from the heat. When I say hot, I mean your clothes can be wrung out at the end of the day and 4 liters of water still leaves you parched. That said, I am surprised by how much drier the heat is than in Malaysia or Singapore. Granted, I am much further inland, but in my mind Thailand is a hot and steamy place similar to Miami in August, but that's not the case. It's only about 65% humidity which is a far cry from the 90% you regularly get in south Florida. Subtle, but noticeable.

I have been slipping in and out of my shoes several times a day since I arrived in Bangkok. Most buildings, particularly Buddhist temples, do not allow shoes inside. I can't help but smile every time I take my shoes off and wander around barefoot outside or inside when I think about my grandmother and how appalled she would be. Shoes are something to be worn at all times and it is preferable if you have slippers on inside the house too. You might catch cold, have dirty feet or get something stuck in your sole. Very practical, but very much not the way things are done here. Sorry abuela!

I spent several days sweating my way through Bangkok. My favorite parts involved touring the historical areas such as Ko Ratanakosin described in the previous blog entry, riding the river in a water taxi, and getting lost on the backstreets of several neighborhoods. I did a lot of walking and enjoyed street life and sign language with the locals. The phrase book is not very practical when negotiating with a street vendor but I learned to say a few things so I could say hello, give thanks, ask the price or ask the name of something. Anyone I attempted to talk to was so pleased I was trying that they often assumed I knew more than I did and inevitably the excited chatter would end in disappointment when I stared blankly or tried to explain I couldn't understand a word. If I stay here any longer than this trip is planned for, a course in conversational Thai would be necessary. I just can't learn from a book when the language relies completely upon inflection and cadence. While the accents and roman alphabet translations help, they don't make a dent when it comes to reproducing the sounds. I think that Rassias guy up at Dartmouth might have been on to something after all.

I toured and enjoyed the Dusit Palace grounds on my last full day. These were built by royal decree, only much later than the Grand Palace complex as it was initiated and completed under King Rama V in the early 1900's. The King used his personal money to purchase the land - previously orchards and paddy fields - for the construction of a royal garden. Subsequently, several permanent residences were built too.

The reason most people go is to tour Vimanmek Mansion, built in 1900 and the world's largest golden teakwood mansion. The King moved there for five years with his four wives (each had her own area in the mansion) It was only used for a couple decades before it was turned into a storage place and closed for much of the 20th century. Heavy western influence in both the architecture and the contents of the mansion. In fact, there were very few Thai antiques or decor and the highlights of the mansion were british and european silverware, ceramics, and crystal. Ancient Chinese ceramics were popular at the time so there is also a fine collection to be seen in some of the rooms.

Besides the mansion, several residences were built on the premises for the King's consort, princesses and younger sisters. These buildings have been turned into exhibition halls and I toured three. Two were filled with the current King's photography collection - he is an avid photographer who takes pictures everywhere he goes despite the arsenal of royal photographers and reporters - and the third was an exhibition hall founded by the Queen to display traditional Thai arts and crafts produced by an organization she has set up called SUPPORT. The building itself has a magnificent floral design and the objects inside were delightful.

I learned about:

nielloware - a carved base made out of gold or silver to which niello is applied
kram - finely hammered gold/silver thread on steel
bamboo basket weaving - finely woven and typical of the northeast provinces
yao nip baskets - finely woven vine typical of the south
beetle wing decoration - iridescent green/blue/orange made from special beetles wings. the beetles only live three months and die after they lay their eggs. the dead beetles are collected and the wings are used for fine decorations on all sorts of surfaces. it's stunning.

The themes revolved mostly around nature or myth. The lotus and elephant are common as are depictions of Thailand's historical myths. Small boxes and handbags were some of the most intricate and lavish work I saw. Of course, there was also a smattering of silk weaving, wood carving and silver ware to appreciate.

Having spent four days in Bangkok I had my fill! I will have another day or two in the city before flying to Nepal in late April and so I hope to cross the river to see Thunburi (the site of the capital before it was moved to the Grand Palace in Bangkok), Wat Arun, and Jim Thompson's silk house which is not to be missed (thanks Ann-Janette!). For now, it is time to turn back the clock and take in some ancient ruins a little further to the north.

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