Reflections, the beginning

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Exploring Bangkok

The hotel is nice and the staff gracious and more than hospitable. My husbands parents and family has been coming here since 1983. But it has been 10 years since my Steve has been here, same for Scott. This is a very different Bangkok, that is what I hear again and again, from Steve and Mike and Kaye. It may be different but it is a fascinating, diverse, city full of ancient tradition and modern vice.

An adventure at 2 in the morning.

On Sunday night, Mike arranged a ride in a tuk-tuk around Bangkok, we piled, and stuffed ourselves in for the ride of my life. Our driver took us on a night time, tour, that I will never repeat in my life. We drove by the Grounds of the Kings Palace, and had our pictures taken with a guard, we saw the Night Market, full of vendors and people on the banks of the Ma-kong River. The we went to the largest Shrine in Bangkok, our driver piled out, spoke with the night guard and we then spent the next half an hour exploring the gargens and grounds of this beautiful place. All by ourselves. What a memory!

Stairs, Sky Train and Shopping

We decided to go shopping at a mall called MBK, I was almost overwhelmed by the stores, sights and sounds. Jewelry, clothes, carvings, toys and more. Bustling and Hustling with people, all the frankly I was exhausted. To get to the mall, we took the Sky Train, a new addition to the city since Steve had been here, and Scott lived here. We took stair case, after stair case, always on the “wrong side” with out the escalator! But the Train itself, is amazing.. The stations are thriving with kiosks, and law firms. Really, law firms. The train as fast had furnished with tv.

Patpong

When we decided to travel to patpong, I wasn't sure what to expect. It was “much cleaneer: than “back in the day”...however there were plenty of opportunities to “see a show”. We passed, the night bazaar, was fun and expensive. We enjoyed our time their and then came back to our hotel and ate a late dinner. People watching from the veranda on the hotel, is the most educating of all.

Feeling God

I have been “missing God”, oh God had not gone anywhere, I have just allowed myself to use the excuse of “life” as a way of getting out of practice of just simply listening to God. To sitting in the silence, and allowing my mind to get to that special place, where God and I play. That changed today.

I went to see the Shrine of the Golden Buddha. Before we even saw Phra Buddha Maha Suwananna Patimakorn, the lovely, gentleness of God was there, and the space so holy, that I could feel stress and worry roll off my shoulders as I walked in the door, how could I not.

First we went to a smaller temple where a monk was praying. I went in; knelt down and gave a prayer of thanks. I meditated, and experienced overwhelming feelings of gratitude. I walked out of the Temple, with Tears of Joy, the Presence of Spirit, was so very close.

Actually seeing the Golden Buddha, was awesome. The craftsmanship and care of this Buddha was just so cool. Standing before it and reflecting on the gratiude flowing through my body was so refresing that I gladly tithed to the shrine.

My first impressions

The Thai people, have their spirituality everywhere, close, business have altars, as did our driver "Joe" today in his car. The reverence for their God and their King, is humbling. The gentleness of the people is refreshing. The poverty is heart breaking, and you can't help but feel sympathy for the women; young and old, who walk around and strut their stuff lining up “boyfriends”. The Ka-toys, well some of these “lady boys” work much harder at being a woman than I do.

The visitors vary from families, to groups of friends, and men; lots and lots of single, older men. But they are generally nice and most of them having been coming here for years. The community of ex-pats here from around the world might surprise you. There are little enclaves for the: Russians, Arabs, Chinese, Brits, and Americans. Much has changed, I am told. It is still more than I could ever have hoped for!

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Photos

N1
on our tour