Thai holiday - Part Two - Bangkok

When we left off, we were en route to Bangkok from Chiang Mai. We arrived in Bangkok on a stormy Wednesday afternoon, having not seen that much rain since leaving the U.S. Upon arrival at our hotel in the late afternoon, we unpacked our things, settled in and assessed our plans for the next three days given the fact that Mother Nature was out to ensure that we did not dry out during our time in this frenetic city.

McNamaste Chiang Mai

We awoke early on Thursday morning and set out to explore Bangkok. We had no set plans, deciding to let the roads and the weather guide us. About 30  minutes out from the hotel, a local woman befriended us on the sidewalk, insisted that we needed to go on a canal boat tour, secured a Tuk Tuk to take us to the waterfront (complete with local discount), and we were on our way. Being the suspicious Americans that we are, we were wondering if it was all an elaborate scam, especially as the Tuk Tuk wound its way through back alleys and up on a sidewalk right before dropping us at our final destination.

Deciding to do the complete circuit we wound our way through a series of canals ultimately ending at the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. We went through a lock, bought beers from a back alley canal boat vendor, and saw some pretty amazing canal houses and yards.

Waiting for our turn at the lock.

Inside the lock.

On the other side and headed through the canal circuit.

Buddha peaking over the roof of the building.

Quintus was on the edge of his seat during the entire boat ride...

Upon arriving at our final destination, we disembarked from our boat and meandered our way through a series of vendors to the extensive complex of Wat Pho home of the world renowned Reclining Buddha.

Reclining Buddha

Another angle

Hey there Blue Guy, how you doin'?

This shot should provide some perspective on the scale of this incredible statue.

The Feet

Quintus making an offering of coins

One hundred times.

The Quintus "photo bomb"

The "Don't Even Start With Me" Buddha

"Yes....yes..."

And now for something completely different...

The next day we decided to go to the Red Cross Snake Farm. As you may or may not know, there are an insane number of venomous snakes in Thailand, including the metro-Bangkok area. Given the scarcity of anti-venom in the region, the Red Cross established this snake farm in Bangkok in order to develop a local source of the treatments needed for these often lethal bites. In addition to the extensive live snake exhibit, the Snake Farm had an incredible educational exhibit, as well as a twice-daily venom milking demonstration. The calmness with which the handlers dealt with frightened/angry cobras was truly awe inspiring.

We went from the Snake Farm to the movies where we saw Finding Dory on a rainy Bangkok afternoon. For those who have not seen it, go ahead, it definitely entertains. A couple of reflections on our movie theatre experience: 1) tickets are insanely cheap (~$3) as were the snacks and 2) there is a tribute to the King of Thailand (including a photo montage) before the movie starts and everyone in the the theatre stands in respect until the movie starts. There were eight of us in this 400 seat theater.

Finding Dory

Can you identify what is wrong with this picture? 

Spontaneous dance performance on the elevated walkway.

 
And that wraps up our brief stint in Bangkok. See you in Khao Lak!

Off to Phuket and Khao Lak

Thai holiday - Part One - Chiang Mai

So, in mid-June we embarked on our first holiday since we went to St. Croix for Q's first birthday three years ago. We spent two weeks in Thailand with Chiang Mai being our first stop. It was my intention to post one blog for each location on our itinerary, while we were there, but clearly that did not happen. Better late than never, right?

We arrived at our hotel (The Rim Resort) in Chiang Mai late on a Sunday evening. The hotel is located on the western wall of the old city of Chiang Mai and is designed as an old Colonial Lanna house. We were greeted so graciously by the hotel staff and escorted to our room complete with entry alcove (including door bell and mailbox), a balcony overlooking the courtyard and pool, and traditional Thai slippers. Due to the late hour, we unpacked and settled in for the night, with plans to begin exploring the city first thing in the morning.

A view of the interior courtyard and pool.

The entryway and lobby.

The next morning we set out to explore Chiang Mai, a city known for some of Thailand's most exquisite wats. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, as I was prior to our trip, a wat is a Buddhist temple. Strictly speaking, it is actually much more than that, but for the sake of brevity, let's leave it there for now.

Our first stop was Wat  Phra Singh, a beautiful and ornate complex. Given the fact that we are almost four months out from our trip, I will spare the descriptors and just post pictures.

Wat is this? Yes, it is.

One of the most amazing aspects of Wat Phra Singh were the wooded groves that included countless aphorisms nailed to the trees, a selection of which are below.

From there we walked to Wat Chedi Luang, an impressive structure where I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Appropriate expressions for architectural appreciation.

The cannonball tree.

And its flower.

That evening we went to the Night Bazaar, a compendium of shopping, food, and personal indulgences that boasted everything from crafts and clothing to fish nibbling pedicures and ladyboys. We enjoyed the evening shopping, eating, and speculating about what it might feel like to have dozens of fish nibbling your toes.

 

Quintus drove us home via Tuk Tuk.

Our last full day in Chiang Mai had two distinct components; the morning we spent at Wadi Chiang Man and the Warorot Market and the afternoon we spent at a baby elephant sanctuary. Below, photos of Wat Chiang Man.

Real sugar cane gifts for stone elephants.

At the entrance of the Wat, a pair of women was selling baskets of pigeons that you can release to enable good fortune. So, of course, we did. Following is a series of photos documenting our path to good fortune.

Like money flying out of a basket.

After lunch and a swim, we set off to the baby elephant sanctuary. We had one of the most incredible experiences of a lifetime, feeding, muddying, and then bathing a group of juvenile elephants. I think the photos speak for themselves.

The next morning we set off for "One Night in Bangkok," well, really, we were there for three days, but that does not make a great title for a song. Parts II (Bangkok) and III (Khao Lak) of this blog to follow. Hopefully before the end of this year...