Arrived in Bangkok

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After a very long and exhausting trip, we arrived in Bangkok and are having a fabulous time so far. Bangkok is chaotic, crowded, and terribly polluted, but I adore it. The city has such an energetic pace and the food is great.

Thai food here is very similar to what you get in the US, but at 1/10th of the price. The vendors sell every kind of food you could imagine: fruit (including pineapple, papaya and mango, my absolute favs), stir fries, pad thai, soups, noodles, curries, etc, all cooked up fresh to order. This makes it very easy to engage in the main Thai national pasttime: eating. The other national pasttime seems to be listening to cheesy love ballads. If I hear Toni Braxton and that atrocious Celine Dion song from Titanic again, I'm going to go mental.

So far, we have been to the temple complex of Wat Pho and the Jim Thompson house. We haven't been to the national palace yet, but will make it there when we go back to Bangkok. Just wandering around the streets and cutting through the air conditioned shopping malls around Siam Square is interesting.

We also saw the Khao San Rd freak show. This is the largest backpacker ghetto I've ever seen. It puts Gringo Alley in Cusco to shame. Hundreds of farang (foreigners) wander around drinking beer, shopping, parading around with ladyboys, etc. It's a carnival atmosphere and just fun to people watch.

One of my favorite things in Bangkok is the local boat rides. Boats are a form of public transportation, so it was interesting to see how the locals live and get around, though these waterways are also where a lot of sewage seems to end up. We took a boat on one of the canals, and we were the only foreigners on board. We also took a river boat to the Royal Barge Museum, where they have an amazing collection of the elaborate hand carved longboats that the kings traditionally used.

We are currently in south Thailand on the coast, enjoying some sun and fun at Thailand's amazing beaches. More on this to come later...

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Photos

Bangkok traffic
This was taken after 9pm. Rush hour is constant here.

Bangkok Traffic Jam
And you thought the beltway was bad...

Khao San Road Freak Show
Backpacker carnival

Street vendor in Bangkok
This vendor was selling fried bugs on KSR

Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho
I think this is the largest reclining Buddha in the world.

Base of Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho
Every part is very ornate and has some symbolic meaning.

Monk Teaching Schoolkids
This Buddhist monk was a great teacher to these Thai schoolgirls. They were laughing and listening attentively.

Jim Thompson House
This was part of Jim Thompson's home. He was an American who fell in love with Thailand and lived here in the mid 1900's. He collected many art pieces, but disappeared in Malaysia in the 1960s. His traditional Thai home is now preserved as a museum.

Jim Thompson House 2
The gardens were really nice, an oasis of calm in chaotic Bangkok.

Jim Thompson House 3
Door decoration

Jim Thompson House 4
Flowers in the garden

Jim Thompson House 5
Garden shrine

Stevan at lunch on the river
Stevan is smiling because "Wind Beneath My Wings" is his favorite songس ا

Street scene in Bangkok
There are mazes of neighborhoods running along the canals and rivers that few foreigners visit. This one was near the Royal Barges Museum.

Comments

[Charlie]

Beer challenge begins
$40 has been sent to PayPal to fund the purchase of beer in the following circumstances. Photographic documentation is encouraged. Beer with a former Viet Cong officer Beer in shade temperature >100F Beer with a locally famous artist (any type) Beer while not wearing your own clothes Beer in a hot air balloon Beer with a Texan Beer in proximity to at least 10 non-human primates Beer served in a vessel made of plant fiber Beer with a priest (choose your flavor) Beer on a beach at sunset after a rainstorm Beer with pirates It is hoped that any unspent funds from the beer challenge will be used to bring back the cheesiest tourist tchotchke(s) that you can find.

[Wherearetheynow]

I wish I'd seen this earlier, because I almost got your having a beer with non-human primates yesterday. We were on a boat that stopped at Monkey Island. We were surrounded by monkeys (fortunately none with hostile intentions) but I was not drinking a beer at the time. Next time! I'll keep you posted on how well I meet these challanges.