THAILAND-BANGKOK-10-02/12

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I just arrived in Chiang Mai and settled in the hotel...
I am looking forward to the cooking class here...Will update you on it later...But do know that the Northern Thai cuisine unlike other regions of Thailand has more Indian and Chinese influences. As a result the cocunut and fish sauces are replaced with ginger and soy and apparantly are alot more spicier...So can not wait...
The past three days in Bangkok were just wonderful...I did some delightful touristy activities...
Friday started with a walk along the hotel neighborhood of Silom and taking pictures of the srteet vendors...The BKK street scence is just fascinating...You have got to let yourself wonder...Check out the term La Derive which we used in school as a method for an urban research project of Los Angeles. " La Derive is a French concept meaning an aimless walk, probably through city streets, that follows the whim of the moment"...By noon the heat and humidity drove me to the river where I got a day pass for the river taxi. That saved me from the dreadful BKK traffic. With the river taxi you can hop on and off many of the piers along the river and visit many of the historical sites and neighborhoods. So I visited the Wot Arun temple close to pier 8 and the Thon Athuit (sp???i will check and update) neighborhood along Pier 13, norheast of BKK...
For the Wot Arun be prepared to make the climb to the top of the Chedi, which has spectacular views of the river, the Grand palace, and the Wot Pho...I am paying for it now, I can hardly go up or down stairs...My legs are in pain...
I then walked along the Thon Athuit neighborhood which is quite delightful with many quaint cafes and hole in the wall restaurants. There I had Spicy Indian and Thai fish curry with Roti at the Roti Mataba...Thank you O for the recommendation...At the Roti Mataba I met a half Scottish/Half Pakistani lady, who volunteered to show me other parts of this Bohemian neighborhood and had coffee at an open terraced cafe...
The problem with a day of riding boats and waiting on floating barges is that you feel afloat for the remainder of the day...It threw my balance off and killed my appetite...
Late Friday cousin N and S arrived...So it was nice to end the day with family...
Saturday was the Chatuchak weekend market...A BKK must see...I did not get to see everything, but I am hoping to go back...The evening was spent with cousin N visiting a painting art gallery, having drinks at the State tower building in the Silom neighbothood, and having dinner at a great Italian/Continental restaurant...To my surprise BKK has quite a few italian pasta and pizza restaurants...

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Photos

Photo 13
PREPARING FOR VALENTINES DAY

Photo 10
BANGKOK STEET SCENCE

Photo 11
BANGKOK STREET MARKET SCENE

Photo 27
WOT ARUN TEMPLE