Saturday, April 21, 2012

Exploring Bangkok


March 18

Our first day in Bangkok we slept in and it was great. After waking up every morning by 7 at the latest, it was a treat to sleep until 10:30 and essentially wing the day. We grabbed a map and consulted it about our activities for the day. We decided to hit up the major attractions, Wat Prakeaw, The Grand Palace, the National Museum, and maybe a temple or two. Flagging down another tuk tuk we attempted to communicate our destination and eventually we were on our way, until we had to stop for gas, which was a little disconcerting as I know zero Thai and often had no idea what action was needed on my part in various situations. We made it to the general area where the important stuff was and ventured on to Wat Prakeaw. We were stopped, of course, by a very kind man hoping to sell us something/take us somewhere/generally make money in some way using us, who very convincingly tried to aid in our itinerary planning. After declining his invitations the man’s attitude abruptly changed and he hurled a string of insults in my direction. I have never before been verbally assaulted in a foreign country, so even while his behavior was out of line, I couldn’t help but be a little shaken about the experience.

The one low point was quickly overshadowed by the beauty and impressiveness of Wat Prakeaw. It is a huge compound filled with different temples and statues that are intricately adorned with the tile and beautiful architectural details. I could have spent the entire day taking it all in. Don't worry, I took an overwhelming number of photos. It was a beautiful day to be out in the city seeing the sites and stuffing myself, as usual. If you go to Thailand, which I would recommend you do, the number one activity you will partake in is sweating. There is no way to do it gracefully. You will look terrible and your clothes will be soaked within 10 minutes of being outside. You will look like you just fell into the canal and you will appear this way the rest of the day; in restaurants, in shops, in temples. And no, the Thai people don't sweat and they wear jeans, which will make you feel worse about how sweaty and gross you are. 

At the National Museum


 A random military parade that we encountered


 At Wat Prakeaw






 These were sold with incense and a candle as an offering. I wish I knew what kind of flower this is!





















 These photos are of the Grand Palace




A video of the procession

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