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Published: February 3rd 2007
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5:30 am. Sukhamvit area of Bangkok. It is still dark and I have decided to take an early stroll down to Lumpini Park, Bangkok's green oasis of lesiure in the midst of this giant Mexico City of South East Asia. I haunt the streets virutally alone but a few high-heeled and mini-skirted ladies are out who are finishing a night's work and the ochre-robed monks are just beginning their begging rounds. Soon the early commuters arrive, sharply-dressed and walking briskly or racing on their motorbikes. I arrive at the park and it is hoppin' with people doing all sorts of things, from martial arts and tai-chi to badminton and jogging, and from sword practice to selling snake blood and bile. The park is gorgeous, with lotus ponds and canals and flower beds. Every city should have a park like this!
Outside the park the city quickly comes comes alive. By 6:30 the traffic is in earnest and by 7 am there will be traffic jams. And I thought Nairobi traffic was a hectic! Bangkok makes Nairobi look like a quaint little village. Bangkok is an awesome, vibrant city. Bangkok--or Krung Thep, its official name--confirms for me some common stereotypes: Yes,
there are shaved-headed monks and golden buddhas and the ornate curved roof architecture characteristic of Thai temples. Yes, there are the prostitutes, perhaps more per capita than anywhere, or maybe just that its very much in the open with the infrastructure to support it. "Bangkok is one of the safest cities in the world," I was told by Dave the hostel owner. "It's the Thai ladies that you have to watch out for." Perhaps one should add the Thai lady-boys you occasionally see, net stalkings and lipstick and all.
What surprised me was how contemporary the city is. Skyscrapers, mega malls, brand names, 7-11's on every block, subways, superfast multilane highways, and the new Skytrain crisscrossing above the sprawling streets below. And how seamlessly the modern is blended with the traditional. Elite hotel chains with spirit houses or shrines in the courtyards. Want a more colorful way to explore? Bangkok has its old network of canals, with longboats zipping you to the other side of the city for 12 baht or 33 cents and without the traffic and its air pollution. I get tired of sucking diesel so I opt for the river taxis. Plus you actually pass by
real neighborhoods rather than just modern Bangkok's concrete jungle.
It is interesting how much Hindu influence there is here in this Theravada Buddhist country. The brand new airport has a giant sculpture of Vishnu depicting a popular myth, that of the churning of the oceans for the nectar of immortality. The Thai version of the Hindu epic Ramayana (Ramakien) is painted as murals in Buddhist temple complexes. Brahma, the 4-armed Hindu god of creation is venerated by Buddhists downtown next to a fancy hotel. And Hindu priests still preside over royal ceremonies.
I was also surprised at the level of veneration to the king. Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with a parliament and while the king doesn't call the shots, he does have veto power and is held in high esteem. He is given respect perhaps second only to the monks and the Buddha. There are laws against criticising him or damaging the reputation of the royal family. His image is more ubiqitous than Ataturk's in Turkey....at highway intersections, in hotel lobbies, in stores, and at the beginning of movies, where the audience stands up while the national anthem is played. There are entire stores dedicated to selling
portraits of the royal family, past and present. The current king, Bhumibol, was actually born in the United States, is an accomplished musician and a billionaire to boot, one of the richest men in the world. He looks like a mix between harry potter and george bush to me but don't say this to thais.
On the other side of the city from Lumpini Park is the Grand Palace complex. Going there is kind of like going to Topkapi palace in Istanbul. It is a huge tourist draw and a must-do that showcases over a 100 interesting buildings. After an exciting water-taxi ride and walking past the Democracy Monument (what does this mean after the military overthrew the elected president in September 2006?) and City Pillar shrine (which houses a shrine to the city's guardians), I come across a massive complex of structures surrounding by a huge wall. But I enjoy this more than Topkapi, maybe because of the wonderful weather and flowers that are in bloom but also because you could just wander from temple to murals depicting the Ramayana Epic or the Buddha's past lives to courtyard to stupa to crazy sculpture and take it all in
at your own pace. This also houses the famous Emerald (really jade) Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Kaew), one of the most important images in all of Thailand. Half the people were tourists and the other half were devotees. One man's full time job seemed to be to make sure people didn't point the soles of their feet towards the Buddha image when sitting, which is seen as deeply disrespectful. Next door to the Palace Complex is Wat Pho, with the famous Temple of the Reclining Buddha. It is the oldest and largest in Bangkok. Wat is the Thai term for Temple complex and usually includes monastery, scripture depository, and maybe a school and a chedi or stupa with relics underneath.
In addition to taking in Thai temples I am taking in the wonderful Thai food. I am in culinary heaven! Delicious green and red curries and fried rice and pad thai with fresh lime and sprouts and noodles, pork necks, fish balls, dried duck, fried mackerel (have't tried those last few, but they're on all the menus). There aren't as many vegetarians as I had presumed but its easy enough. Also its easy to get great international food here,
especially chinese, indian, and middle-eastern/lebanese.
But I think I am already coming down with something. It's not Diarrhea (somehow I have managed to avoid this, though I don't really feel like an accomplished world traveler until I do...fingers-crossed) or bird flu (yes I know like 2 people have died in all of thailand I better be careful, huh). No, I'm pretty sure I have G.B.F. or Golden Buddha Fatigue. It is usually traceable to having the image of 2,456 golden buddhas, golden stupas, golden spires, and golden amulets burned into your retina and memory. Don't get me wrong, I like buddha images in general and your first sight of a 140 foot long and 40 feet high golden reclining buddha and multi-ton golden stupa is unforgettable. It's just that after around the 345th or 346th one or so....well, let's just say its not fatal but it can affect your philosophical system. For your sake, I hope it's not contagious. Luckily it is easily treatable. The more difficult treament is just to contract another ailment to forget your current one, like hitting your thumb to forget your headache. For example, you could go to Turkey and get AMS (Abundant Mosque
Syndrome) or Mexico and contract a VO (Virgin Overdose). Another tried and true method is to actually reflect on what the buddha taught. (As I recall it, he renounced royalty and worldy wealth, but it seems that asian buddhism is a giant conspiracy to make sure the buddha is lord and king, preferably with giant ornate thrones and as much gold as you can muster.) At any rate the simplist remedy for GBF is simply to meditate with equanimity or drink vodka, both methods sometimes achieving approximately the same affect...though the first is cheaper and often with longer-lasting effects.
Just in case you wanted a tongue twister, here's the full name of Bangkok:
Krungthep Mahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathani Burirom-udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiya Witsanu Kamprasit, which means "The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukam.
Wheeww!
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Hilary
non-member comment
yew tee Krung Tep na ka
'wadee ka, Ryan! I believe we have a mutual friend? One madrileno se llama Marcial? He told me to check out your blog some time. I live in Lampang, Thailand, but I'm here in Krung Tep (Bangkok) to see my family out tomorrow. They're on a beer run. To 7-11 of course. I'll read your second blog on Thailand when I have the chance. And that's right--you don't be knockin' The King. A man from Switzerland was just imprisoned (7-year minimum, I believe) for defacing a public royal portrait. King Bhumipol will probably live on as one of Thailand's most revered monarchs, up there with Rama V. He has donated millions of his own personal money to agricultural progress and other forms of rural development, as well as to tsunami relief efforts. His own grandson died on the Andaman Coast. Personally, I'm a bit jealous that we Americans don't have some one like him to look up to these days. Chok dee na, Hil