We woke up bright and early this morning (thank you jet lag!), with plenty of time to have a relaxed breakfast and find the computer center before meeting our guide and driver at 10 AM in the lobby of our hotel. The breakfast buffet area is on the top floor of the hotel and has a nice view of the city area around us. After eating a LOT of rice for breakfast when we visited China (our last trip to Asia) we were very happy to find breakfast included pancakes, bacon, cereal, orange juice, toast, croissants, made-to-order omlets (I really wish I liked eggs b/c I would have them fill mine with bacon and cheese I think), and for those who can stomach it that early in the day, Thai style noodles (they were good, but just a little too spicey for before-noon for me). So we filled up and still had time to go back to the room for a 30 minute power nap before we met our guide at 10.
Our first stop was the Chao Phraya River, that flows all the way from the northern part of the country... several smaller waterways come together to make up the Chao Phraya by the time it reaches Bankok. We took a longtail boat ride (a longtail boat is what it sounds like - a long skinny boat, covered by a canopy, with a big car motor on the back and propeller at the end of a long pole that sticks into the water and in the big part of the river you can really move in them!) through the main river way and then up several canals, away from the city center, to take a look at "real homes" away from the tourist sites. We had the boat to ourselves, so we sat back and relaxed, enjoying the scenes from the water. We passed many beautiful temples and in the back canals saw homes right on the water, so close it was a little bit like a Thai styled Venice.
We stopped at one dock and bought food to feed the catfish living in the waters - more fish than I've ever seen! Along the temple waterfronts they don't kill the fish (a Buddhist thing), there are just a crush of fish popping up everywhere you look. When you throw them the food it's quite a sight to see them all competing for the most pellets.
After touring around the city by Longtail boat for about an hour, we stopped at Wat Arun or Temple of the Dawn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Arun). You can climb up this temple to reach two terraces that have a great view of the riverfront, the Grand Palace across the way, and the city. The incline is very steep and the stairs are made for very small feet (I didn't let go of the handrails for a second), and on the way up I made the mistake of looking behind me and down below and about lost my breakfast.
I loved the hand made statues covering every surface of the Wat, all seemingly quilted with brightly colored porcelain and seashells from China.
Next we visited another temple, Wat Pho, where we saw the largest Reclining Buddha in Thailand (I'm shocked that there is another one larger anywhere in the world!). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Pho - You can hardly capture him in one frame of the camera. Made of concrete and plated in Gold, the Reclining Buddhas feet alone dwarfed me.
In another Wat (Today was the day of Temples!) we saw a massive golden Buddha, made of solid gold, but the size of the Reclining Buddha still impressed me more, even if he wasn't gold to the core.
By the time we made it to the Grand Palace at 2:00 in the afternoon, I was started to fade and really looking forward to lunch. We spent about an hour walking around the elaborate royal dwellings that were built in the late 1700's by Rama I (the King) -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Palace. At the Grand Palace we saw the Emerald Buddha (who has three wardropes that change with the seasons, and only the King or the Crown Prince are allowed to change his solid gold attire from one season to the next), many very "Grand" halls and monuments, and beautiful gardens full of sculpted trees and tropical flowers.
One thing I did not expect about Bankok (which I should have just from looking at the map) is how tropical and lush everything is. Driving down city streets in the heart of the commerce district even, vibrant greens pop out at you everywhere. The streets are clean, the drivers actually for the most part adhere to the lanes (a first for our travels in the Eastern hemisphere!), and the people are inredibly friendly.
So if you see what time this is posted (about 11 PM our time, 11 AM your time) and wonder why I'm up so late - we made the mistake of taking a "nap"after we got back to the hotel around 5... and woke up at 10 PM... oops. So now our goal is to be back to sleep by 1:00 at the latest, so we will not just crash tomorrow afternoon. I think we'll be fine because tomorrow is a much more relaxed day... we visit some markets and I can't remember what else, but I know we won't be going from Wat to Wat to Wat like we did today. So wish us luck falling back asleep in the next few hours, even though our bodies are telling us it's the middle of the day! I normally don't have any problem sleeping at anytime during the day, as anyone whose ever lived with me knows, so hopefully Enrique will be able to as well!
So far - SO SO SO GOOD! And I haven't even touched on the Thai food yet - we had a wonderful lunch, and I think we'll really enjoy our meals here. I'll save that for another post when we have more meals under our belts.
Love to everyone! Love, Meagan and Enrique
p.s. Sarah - GOOD LUCK ON THURSDAY AND IN THE FINAL DAYS OF TRAINING, WE ARE THINKING OF YOU!!
Our first stop was the Chao Phraya River, that flows all the way from the northern part of the country... several smaller waterways come together to make up the Chao Phraya by the time it reaches Bankok. We took a longtail boat ride (a longtail boat is what it sounds like - a long skinny boat, covered by a canopy, with a big car motor on the back and propeller at the end of a long pole that sticks into the water and in the big part of the river you can really move in them!) through the main river way and then up several canals, away from the city center, to take a look at "real homes" away from the tourist sites. We had the boat to ourselves, so we sat back and relaxed, enjoying the scenes from the water. We passed many beautiful temples and in the back canals saw homes right on the water, so close it was a little bit like a Thai styled Venice.
We stopped at one dock and bought food to feed the catfish living in the waters - more fish than I've ever seen! Along the temple waterfronts they don't kill the fish (a Buddhist thing), there are just a crush of fish popping up everywhere you look. When you throw them the food it's quite a sight to see them all competing for the most pellets.
After touring around the city by Longtail boat for about an hour, we stopped at Wat Arun or Temple of the Dawn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Arun). You can climb up this temple to reach two terraces that have a great view of the riverfront, the Grand Palace across the way, and the city. The incline is very steep and the stairs are made for very small feet (I didn't let go of the handrails for a second), and on the way up I made the mistake of looking behind me and down below and about lost my breakfast.
I loved the hand made statues covering every surface of the Wat, all seemingly quilted with brightly colored porcelain and seashells from China.
Next we visited another temple, Wat Pho, where we saw the largest Reclining Buddha in Thailand (I'm shocked that there is another one larger anywhere in the world!). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Pho - You can hardly capture him in one frame of the camera. Made of concrete and plated in Gold, the Reclining Buddhas feet alone dwarfed me.
In another Wat (Today was the day of Temples!) we saw a massive golden Buddha, made of solid gold, but the size of the Reclining Buddha still impressed me more, even if he wasn't gold to the core.
By the time we made it to the Grand Palace at 2:00 in the afternoon, I was started to fade and really looking forward to lunch. We spent about an hour walking around the elaborate royal dwellings that were built in the late 1700's by Rama I (the King) -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Palace. At the Grand Palace we saw the Emerald Buddha (who has three wardropes that change with the seasons, and only the King or the Crown Prince are allowed to change his solid gold attire from one season to the next), many very "Grand" halls and monuments, and beautiful gardens full of sculpted trees and tropical flowers.
One thing I did not expect about Bankok (which I should have just from looking at the map) is how tropical and lush everything is. Driving down city streets in the heart of the commerce district even, vibrant greens pop out at you everywhere. The streets are clean, the drivers actually for the most part adhere to the lanes (a first for our travels in the Eastern hemisphere!), and the people are inredibly friendly.
So if you see what time this is posted (about 11 PM our time, 11 AM your time) and wonder why I'm up so late - we made the mistake of taking a "nap"after we got back to the hotel around 5... and woke up at 10 PM... oops. So now our goal is to be back to sleep by 1:00 at the latest, so we will not just crash tomorrow afternoon. I think we'll be fine because tomorrow is a much more relaxed day... we visit some markets and I can't remember what else, but I know we won't be going from Wat to Wat to Wat like we did today. So wish us luck falling back asleep in the next few hours, even though our bodies are telling us it's the middle of the day! I normally don't have any problem sleeping at anytime during the day, as anyone whose ever lived with me knows, so hopefully Enrique will be able to as well!
So far - SO SO SO GOOD! And I haven't even touched on the Thai food yet - we had a wonderful lunch, and I think we'll really enjoy our meals here. I'll save that for another post when we have more meals under our belts.
Love to everyone! Love, Meagan and Enrique
p.s. Sarah - GOOD LUCK ON THURSDAY AND IN THE FINAL DAYS OF TRAINING, WE ARE THINKING OF YOU!!
2 comments:
Dear Meg and Enrique,
Thanks for the newsy review of your first day; I just loved reading it! It sounds like Thailand is a great place with friendly people, fascinating sites, and yummy food. We ate Thai food in Fern Beach in your honor on Sat. night. Keep those cards and letters coming in! Love, MOM
Sounds like a great trip so far. I can't wait to see pictures!! xoxo
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