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Bangkok
The Grand Palace May 6, 2008
The Adventure Continues….PHASE II
St. Louis - Los Angeles - Taipei - Bangkok, Thailand
I returned back to the STL on August 31, 2007. All is good back at home now, so it’s time to venture off again into the unknown.
I think of the WORLD as the black hole begging me to explore it…. 1000’s of cultures immersed in different languages, food, religions, sports, et cetera, all of which make me eager to experience them first hand.
The beginning of Phase II of the expedition brings me first to Bangkok, Thailand. The plan is to meet up with Co-Captain Tilley, and our Argentinean friend, Fede, who are currently in Cambodia and will arrive in Bangkok on May 13th. I decided to arrive in Bangkok on the 8th of May to give me a few days head start.
Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, and is situated along the Chao Phraya River. This river is much more muddier and polluted than the Mississippi. The pictures that I posted in this journal entry are from the first two weeks in Thailand.
Upon arriving at around 12:30 p.m. on 5/8/08 to the Bangkok
International Airport after traveling for 25 hours straight, I took an hour-long bus ride in heavy traffic to the Lub D Bangkok Hostel. This hostel has been phenomenal! They have extremely helpful Thai staff, and most importantly they keep it really clean.
After a good nights sleep, I ventured out into town the following day visiting two of the must see attractions in Bangkok, the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. I chose to take the above ground Metro (very similar to the STL MetroLink), and then boarded a river taxi on the Chao Phraya River to the Grand Palace. I paid my 250 Baht ($8 U.S) and made my way into the Grand Palace.
For just about 150 years, Bangkok's Grand Palace was not only the home of the King and his court, but also the entire administrative seat of government. Within the walls were the country's war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace full time around the turn of the twentieth century, but the complex remains the seat of power and spiritual heart of the Thai kingdom. (http://thailandforvisitors.com)
I was awe stricken as I took my first steps
into the Grand Palace… I have never seen anything like it. The pictures will tell the story.
After the Grand Palace I walked about 20 minutes to Wat Pho, home to the Reclining Golden Buddah, and thousands of other smaller Buddha images.
After taking couple hundred pictures, I made my way back to the hostel. I ran into a buddy of mine, Guito, and he informed me that he was going to a Lumpinee Boxing Stadium to watch Muaythai Kickboxing. I immediately jumped at the chance of going to watch the most famous sport in Thailand and tagged along with Guito and another friend of ours, Leo, from London. We got ringside seats for a pretty good price after negotiating with the ticket sales person (everything and I mean everything is negotiable in Bangkok). After watching 10 eventful fights, we witnessed one guy get knocked out cold and taken out of the ring on a stretcher, we headed out into the crazy town of Bangkok.
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Mother
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You are in your element.....Cor
I smile from ear to ear with a few tears in my eyes busting with pride and admiration for first of all your love for life and secondly your fortitude to seek out your dreams....beautiful photos and the perfect beginning to Phase II of "On the Road Again." God be with you all and keep on "dancing." Love you Cor....Mother