กรุงเทพมหานคร, Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok Thailand

We spent several days exploring Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River. Some of the highlights included the Temple at Wat Pho, and its enormous reclining Buddha (Roan’s favorite) the Temple of Dawn (Sam’s favorite), and the Royal Palace. Thailand has its own brand of Hindu and Buddhist traditions that are fascinating to experience within the context of greater Asia. Ani’s favorite sculptures are of the Naga, the Seven (more or less) headed serpent that is known to churn the river of milk separating the heavens from the earth and good from evil. Right now is the cold season, or dry season in Thailand, although the weather averages around 88 degrees Fahrenheit daily. The river culture and canals remind me in a strange way of Venice. Mountains of Lotus flowers and lily pads drift down the main river and gather along the sides of the canals. We celebrated Monica’s birthday by visiting the Red Cross Snake Farm where we got to see snakes being milked for their venom, and treated her to a Thai Massage and to Thai dinner. There are elements of Bangkok that are conspicuously on the “shady” side; if you look for it you will see it. We tried to see Bangkok for the beauty that it offers although the negative elements are quite obvious. Once you start to “see” the negative side it’s easy to become suspicious of the people around you, mainly the tourists. All in all we had a positive experience in Bangkok, the Thai people are very accommodating and friendly. After Bangkok we left for Cambodia, we will return to Thailand again with visits to Chang Mai and Samui.