Thailand: the first real destination.

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And so it all started well on a 30th of December on Auckland Airport at 13:10 when we finally entered the first of our 15 flights that would take us around the world in 270 days. This is the first entry to what we expect to be a good record of our travels. Have to say that at this point the only thing that comes into our head is that it is very hard to write on a moving and rocking plane.
We left Auckland on a clouded and almost rainy day, very tired (specially Amanda, who only slept 2 hours because even with all those carefully planed schedules, she still had things to do all night and early morning on our departure day)

We arrived in Bangkok!, and as soon as we set foot on Kho San road the shock hit us, as expected…
Kho San Rd was a mess! We have to agree that it was 2 am, and everybody was partying. Everything you wanted to see about human decadence… ok, not “everything”, but the usual stuff you find in a crowded drunked street full of poverty and mischief anyway. From “she-boys” to fried grass-hoppers and whatever else was being fried in that god forsaken pan… People offering all kind of stuff, trying to get you to this or that hostel or nightclub or who knows what was inside that dark alley they were pointing at!!!
Our hostel was just around the corner and it wasn’t a bad one. Have to say that the air-con really adds up a lot of value to it (Although sometimes Amanda wants it off cos it‘s too cold…)
The next day was the Wat day. We visit all the wats (temples) available from walking distance from Kho San Rd. That is to say we walked like madmen!
The cultural shock became less strong as we enjoyed making our way between the crowded markets and the spectacular Temples and Shrines. The opulence of the Grand Palace was not so “grand”, but the Emerald Buddha Shrine was something incredible. The golden walls and sparkling mosaics were everywhere (and the tourists as well, you couldn't walk ten centimetres without crashing against another taking photo tourist!). After that we went to the biggest reclining Buddha (around, because everybody here claims to have “the biggest” of something or another) And then we crossed the river Mas Nam Chao Phraya (the main river that splits Bangkok in two) on a ferry to the Wat Arun, or Temple of the Dawn, one of the oldest and most impressive pagodas there.
After enough hunger accumulated we decided to take courage and have a go to our first market food. We got some crumbed deep fried prawn, with some pork wontons and a coconut water (drinking from the coconut, offcourse, with a straw). Good to the last drop! We sat a little table in the middle of the busy market, next to the little stall, and proudly enjoyed it.
Smells and sound fill our senses at every street. Sometimes even wondering how they live in this or that condition seams unnecessary, or out of place. Questioning appears to be out of the question here: that’s how they’re being and that’s how they are, and that’s to that. After a while we got used to see the mess, and even stoped to trying to make some sense out of it. While sailing the canals, we finally layback, relaxed and enjoy it, because that’s what we where supposed to do anyway.
After a very long day, and year (you have to be reminded that this was the 31st after all), we decided to snooze before celebrating new years. We got into our room determined to go out tonight and celebrate. Just a quick snooze. Even set the alarm. Just an hour of rest. And guest what… The alarm went, and went again an hour later, and somehow unconsciously we decided not to get out of bed. So in the end, the new year got us in our sleep.

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Photos

Thailand
One of the most popular icons of Bangkok

Tuk tuk
Next to a few "tuk-tuks", a local low cost taxi

The Grand Palace
The Royal Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Temple of the Emeral Buddha
There are several pagodas and shrines next to the temple

Temple of the Emerald Buddha 3
The Guardian Demons

Lavish details
Beautiful details of golden and colorful ceramics

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha
The actual building where the Buddha is worshiped

The Emerald Buddha - Wat Phra Kaew
No more than 50 cm high, the actual Emeral Buddha (and no, is notmade of Emerald either)

The Reclining Buddha
Wat Pho, the Temple of the reclining Boddha is just around the corner from the Grand Palace

The Grand Palace
The actual Palace

People's devotion
Although a famous turist destination, all of the Wat (Temples) are places of constant worship

Reclining Buddha 2
another angle

Reclining Buddha 3
and yet another angle

Wat Arun
The Temple of Dawn

Temple of Dawn
A huge and hard to climb pagoda with a great view of Bangkok

Boat Trip
One of the most expensive rides we could afford (actually, w didn't exactly know it was going to be expensive... a bit of a rip of...)

Life on the cannals
It's amazing to see the people living on this place, they have markets, restaurants, taxis, a hole life on the water

Boat trip 2
It was expensive but one of the high lights of Bangkok without a doubt

Comments

[Soleup]

Relax and enjoy!
Holaaa, We all gets the same feeling in Bangkok, it takes a couple of days to get used to but at the end you will love it! Besooo Sole

[enio]

good trip
Gonzalo e Amanda. Sounds like a fantastic trip. I just got back from DisneyWorld with my daughters. Different trip, but fun also. Hope you have a wonderful trip. Great pictures. Saludos. Enio