Thailand: Land of Smiles, Spice and Elderly Europeans

Nick and Kristen write:

Thanks to the suggestion of some wonderful friends of ours, we decided to travel to Thailand. Bangkok, Thailand is an amazing place to travel, and one that everyone should visit at some point in their lives. Our trip encompassed four days of relaxing in 95-degree weather, exploring various wats (monastery temples) throughout Thailand, sitting and tanning besides a large pool with a bar (in the water) and taking a dinner cruise down the Chao Phraya River (or the River of Kings in the Thai language).

Before leaving Taipei we were hesitant about going, because of the political situation and our security, but it turns out we had nothing to worry about. Bangkok is very safe and pleasant. The only thing to be aware of is the taxi cab drivers. The drivers are, for the most part, kind and polite but every now and again you can run into a taxi cab driver who just won't turn on the meter and will try to bargain with you the price of your cab ride. Usually it will be a lot more money than it would ordinarily cost you. We actually got out of a cab because he just wouldn't turn the meter on. Like every other place in the world the locals will all try to sell you something, but will take a polite "no thank you" if you are not interested. Other than that, we had the most amazing time.

The first thing you sense about Thailand as you step out of the airport is the air of history that surrounds you. More so than any of the other countries we have visited on our trip, Thailand is full of a history that you cannot ignore. The weather was extremely hot during our four days in Thailand, exceeding 90-F the entire time we were there, but it was dry heat as opposed to the humidity that envelops Taiwan all of the time.

There are many beautiful temples in Bangkok, and we visited two right down the river from our hotel. Our hotel was full of orchids and the service was excellent. The first thing you notice when you get off at each floor is the lemongrass scent pervading the whole level coming from special burners. It was very exotic. Our hotel room had a view of the Chao Phraya River, and the river taxi (a boat that takes you up and down the river) was right outside of our hotel. Thailand is very dependent on tourism - it's their biggest industry, and Brits make up a good portion of that tourism. During our stay in Bangkok the most obvious thing to us was the sheer amount of elderly Europeans traveling about Thailand. One morning, in fact, we were accosted by hordes of Italians eating breakfast with us in the hotel restaurant. Many more Americans should visit Bangkok!

We jumped, quite literally, onto the river taxi (which is always packed and full of tourists and locals alike) and made our way to the Wat Pho temple complex. The temple complex is huge, but is well-known and visited for the reclining Buddha statue which is inside the temple. The statue lies from one end of the room to the other, and is one of the most interesting things we have seen on our trip to Asia. It's gotta be at least 50-feet long. After wandering around the rest of the complex, we made our way to Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) on the opposite shore of the river. It is a very tall temple which you can climb your way to the top. The steps are quite steep (at least a 60-degree angle) and the incline is sharper as you make your way to the top. The architecture in Thailand is very distinctive and original.

The food is Thailand is full of flavor, spice and is quite healthy. We ate curries most of our time there, and the flavors are unlike anything in America. The fruits are so tasty and must be experienced. The papaya, wax apples, pineapples, and huge grapes simply end a wonderful meal.

Tuesday we arranged an all day tour, which started at 7am. Although making for an early day, the experience was memorable and will never be forgotten. We started off the day by visiting the Floating Market about two hours away. Once you arrive you are hurried onto a long boat, and float among the various house and small store fronts that people have built in front of the river in order to sell their wares. Be forewarned, the boatman will stop at every little hut in order to get you to purchase something unless you tell them not to stop. In a way, it's a bit of a tourist trap. It's not just a leisurely sail down the river. It was overall very interesting and every salesman spoke some level of English. They sell everything from fans, spices, little statues, purses, and food. Plus one boat full of kids stopped and all waved to us. It was a very interesting ride. Once we got off the boat about an hour later, we made our way back to the van. We drove another hour away to an town called Kanchanaburi. Kanchanaburi is a town where the Japanese kept Allied prisoners of war when they invaded Thailand (or Siam at the time). Over 200,000 prisoners died when the Japanese forced them to build the railroad to Burma (or Myanmar today). We first stopped at the cemetery where the Allied prisoners (English, Australian, Dutch, Canadian, but no Americans) were laid to rest. Very touching. Then we stopped at the Bridge over the River Kwai where the railway tracks were laid. The bridge is not original but a replica as the original was blown to bits by Allied planes. Our next stop was the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi, which was the highlight of our trip. The monastery temple is home to over 30 Bengal tigers that the monks attempt to save from poachers, etc. They live in an enclosure at the temple along with wild boars, goats, wildebeests, cheetahs, and roosters walking around freely. Nick actually had the tiger's head laying in his lap. We got to pet the tiger cubs, and a cub actually sprang up and pounced on Nick's leg. Nick wasn't hurt - the cub was just playing. It was really a very cool experience, and one we will never forget! Lunch and the trip home was very easy after that because the beating 90-degree sun took all of our strength left for the day.

Wednesday was reserved for laying by the pool and getting burnt. It was a very relaxing day with tropical drinks :) What was really interesting were these big birds that were wandering in the lawn behind the pool. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be peacocks! You wouldn't believe what a peacock's call sounds like - like a car alarm. Later in the evening we had arranged a dinner cruise down the Chao Phraya River at 8:00pm. The cruise lasted two hours, and followed the Chao Phraya River past the wats and historical sites. The boat was an old teak barge that was nicely decorated and had romantic seating for each couple down the main floor of the boat. As we entered the boat, they gave us flowers and showed us to our table with orchids and appetizers all ready for us. Throughout the dinner there was very Thai-sounding music and performances. The scenery was beautiful and the dinner was excellent. It was a very romantic way to spend the evening, and Bangkok is beautiful at night.

Now that we are home in Taipei, we miss the serenity and wonderful, hot weather of Bangkok. However, it is nice to be home in Taipei. Nick is on his third and final semester of school and things are going very well!

Take care everyone!

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