Bangkok - Part 1
After 24hrs of travel, we made it! The longest flight (14hrs) was only half full, so we had an empty seat next to us and I got to stretch my short legs out. We slept most of the way and got free booze!
Bangkok is a city in every sense of the word. The air is thick with pollution. Taxis, scooters, motorcycles, cars & tuk-tuks
race around like they're late for dinner with the Royal family. Like all cities, Bangkok is also very unique with it's own culture & vibe. We have only just scratched the surface in 3 days. Thais sure do love their malls...they're HUGE. They also love their King and believe he is doing a good job despite the poor economy. The college kids have a style all their own, and I haven't quite figured it out yet. Maybe I'm just getting old. Taxi & tuk-tuk drivers make up their own rules about how much to charge for a fare. We're still trying to figure out how NOT to be suckers.
7-Elevens are like Starbucks. They're on every street corner, and sometimes across the street from one another. The food is delicious, and at only $1 a pop for freshly made pad thai it's super cheap too! Beer is also about $1...yeah!! Buying food from street vendors is normal, and perfectly safe. However some carts are a bit too exotic for my taste…selling fried grasshoppers, beetles & worms, while other carts serve grilled meat in the shape of an animal I can’t quite make out…rodent? We’ve been sticking to what we know…chicken, beef or pork. Tony says he will try the fried insects before we leave. We’ll see.
The architecture & design of the temples is amazing. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is elaborately covered in colored mirrors & gold paint. Intricate paintings telling stories of war cover some the walls. Inside the temple it is quiet and peaceful as people kneel before the buddha in prayer & reflection. The buddha is perched high atop a mountain of gold treasures. Unfortunately, photography of the buddha is not allowed, so you will have to use your imagination.
The weather is HOT...90's in the day and 70's in the evening. Good thing cold beer is so cheap! The people have been friendly for the most part (aside from the scamming taxi & tuk-tuk drivers). We've run across some hustlers, but that's to be expected I guess. We're still getting used to the idea that we're going to be on vacation for awhile. It seems we keep trying to cram a lot of stuff into one day, and end up exhausted. We need to slooooow down! We have much more to see though. We're going to a Muay Thai (kickboxing) fight tonight. Our seats are supposedly so close to the ring, that we just might get sweat and blood splattered on us...cool.
Pictures
Bangkok is a city in every sense of the word. The air is thick with pollution. Taxis, scooters, motorcycles, cars & tuk-tuks
race around like they're late for dinner with the Royal family. Like all cities, Bangkok is also very unique with it's own culture & vibe. We have only just scratched the surface in 3 days. Thais sure do love their malls...they're HUGE. They also love their King and believe he is doing a good job despite the poor economy. The college kids have a style all their own, and I haven't quite figured it out yet. Maybe I'm just getting old. Taxi & tuk-tuk drivers make up their own rules about how much to charge for a fare. We're still trying to figure out how NOT to be suckers.7-Elevens are like Starbucks. They're on every street corner, and sometimes across the street from one another. The food is delicious, and at only $1 a pop for freshly made pad thai it's super cheap too! Beer is also about $1...yeah!! Buying food from street vendors is normal, and perfectly safe. However some carts are a bit too exotic for my taste…selling fried grasshoppers, beetles & worms, while other carts serve grilled meat in the shape of an animal I can’t quite make out…rodent? We’ve been sticking to what we know…chicken, beef or pork. Tony says he will try the fried insects before we leave. We’ll see.
The architecture & design of the temples is amazing. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is elaborately covered in colored mirrors & gold paint. Intricate paintings telling stories of war cover some the walls. Inside the temple it is quiet and peaceful as people kneel before the buddha in prayer & reflection. The buddha is perched high atop a mountain of gold treasures. Unfortunately, photography of the buddha is not allowed, so you will have to use your imagination.
The weather is HOT...90's in the day and 70's in the evening. Good thing cold beer is so cheap! The people have been friendly for the most part (aside from the scamming taxi & tuk-tuk drivers). We've run across some hustlers, but that's to be expected I guess. We're still getting used to the idea that we're going to be on vacation for awhile. It seems we keep trying to cram a lot of stuff into one day, and end up exhausted. We need to slooooow down! We have much more to see though. We're going to a Muay Thai (kickboxing) fight tonight. Our seats are supposedly so close to the ring, that we just might get sweat and blood splattered on us...cool.
Pictures