Of course, the problem with Bangkok (the same problem with many big cities, in my opinion) is that many of those typical city-life things - shopping in malls, going to cafes, going to clubs - don't really appeal to me. I mean, the Uniqlo in Japan and the Uniqlo in Macau have basically the same clothes, right? The Starbucks in Thailand could be the one in Macau, once you're inside...so I find myself looking for those experiences that are unique to the city, which are sometimes easy to find, sometimes not.
This time, the unique feature was taking a ferry down the ChaoPhrya River, which runs through the western part of Bangkok city. The ferry is used as daily transportation for many and also as a means for tourists to view different attractions in the city. A day pass cost around 5 USD, and there were about 10 docks in all where you could alight to see different attractions.
Oh, of course I have to include one of these photos from the plane: On budget airlines, everything (including changing seats) has a surcharge, so I was lucky to get a window seat after a guy wanted to trade seats with me.
Ok, back to the ferry...
You get the picture, right? My first stop: The National Palace and surrounding temples:
I'm a detail person, so I loved photographing all the ornate features:
Mom asked me if this was a "twins" shot...hahaha!
It was boiling hot, but you can't show leg (shorts) or shoulders. If you're not properly attired, you have to rent clothes.
Little monkey...
There were walls and walls of this mural of the life of the Buddha. Seriously, it took us about 20 minutes just to walk the whole of it without spending much time.
Another stop: The fort and surrounding area
A Catholic Church
The next day I decided to take the ferry again and explore more stops. First stop: The National Museum.
There were a few benches outside, so I just enjoyed looking around for several minutes. It was much warmer than Macau - I went from 45 degrees in Macau to approximately 80 in Bangkok.
Once inside, there were many Buddhist artefacts from temples - some of these up to 1000 years old.
Another building was a temple, though I didn't know the historical significance. I don't know much about Buddhism, and the creatures that are part animal, part human intrigue me.
It's a no-no to wear shoes inside (unlike Chinese temples).
It's really difficult to capture the essence.
Then, while I was there, a group of schoolchildren came inside. I was wondering what they were all looking at...
See it? One of them has a laser-light, shining it on the wall. Some things are the same, no matter where you are!
Again, gorgeous detail could be found on everything.
Some of my favorite things:
The Buddha's footprint
The walking Buddha
The chariots used for carrying the king (or the king's ashes in case of a funeral)
Sitting on my bench, once again...this backpack was a gift from Seth Knight after I graduated with my MA in 2009. Never thought it would make its way to Bangkok!
Now, this little guy was precious. He very shyly approached me on my bench and asked me how I liked Bangkok. His mom stood at a distance, video-taping the whole thing. His name was Daniel, as I recall. We were both a little shy (notice our similar stance).
And next it was a stop at the flower market. The sheer number of flowers was astonishing:
I got this bunch for about 42 cents.
I also paid a visit to China Town, and (you guessed it) it was just like China! I really enjoyed it but didn't take too many photos for obvious reasons.
Something else about Thailand - the food. It is cheap, fresh, and delicious, whether in a restaurant or off the street.
Pad Thai
Tom Yum
Freshly squeezed limeade
Those perfectly round Thai eggplants which are delicious in curry!
Mangoes (and guavas and pineapple) that are chopped while you watch and served with salt and chiles
Coconut pudding wrapped in banana leaves
My breakfast every morning - from a street vendor - rice noodles with assorted meats
My last morning I tried a different vendor
These noodles were served with a side of bitter melon, mint leaves, and bean sprouts. Yummy!
And here are just some random shots:
The Thai script is totally different than any other I've seen and kind of reminds me of Arabic. I'm not sure if it's a right-to-left or left-to-right language. Fortunately for me, most people spoke English.
The sunsets along the river were beautiful. Riding the crowded ferry one evening, there was standing room only, and I was right next to the exit. I watched the boatman standing of the very edge of the ferry, even behind the bar, hanging on with one hand, and I thought of Dad, who's very sentimental about rivers. He would have enjoyed seeing this guy, wind in his hair, blowing his whistle before each stop, jumping on the dock when the ferry was still a foot away, mooring the ferry quickly and directing foot-traffic. What a life!
Victory Monument
See the gecko?
Take a close look at Kate's face...
Buddhist shrines were everywhere.
Waiting for the ferry...
The Chinese New Year is celebrated in Thailand as well.
Inside the Terminal 21 Mall - quite a unique design
And of course, no visit is complete without visiting a friend. A big thank you to Michael Maas, who lives in Bangkok and helped me find accommodation, picked me up from the airport, helped me get a metro pass, and much more!
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