Need a little time to try some livin'

Bangkok is a feast for the senses and within the first few minutes of being on the city’s jam-packed streets, you breach information overload. Alternating smells of delicious spicy curries and rotting trash pass by your nostrils. Colorful, overripe bananas, mangos, and rambutans overflow from roadside stalls. A heavy, humid heat causes sweat to drip from all surfaces of the body. Your ears flood with relentless calls from tuk-tuk drivers and tailors, hounding you for your patronage. And your mouth salivates with all the exotic food possibilities available at late night food stalls. With so much of city to take in, exhaustion sets in quickly, and you long to be relaxing by a beach. Before heading ocean-side, we had to experience a little sensory overload and take in some of the culture the amazing city of Bangkok has to offer.

As mentioned in our last post, we arrived during the new year celebration turned water war – Songkran. In between water throwing sessions, we tried to recuperate and dry out by visiting the Grand Palace, also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha because of the “emerald” Buddha statue it houses. This complex was home to the Thai monarchy for nearly 200 years, and although the king’s digs are now elsewhere, these grounds are no less royal.

Before I get too detailed about our trip to the Grand Palace, let me first tell you about our failed attempts at seeing it. The first day, our efforts came up short when we remembered, at the gates, that we were dressed inappropriately. Both men and women are required to wear long pants and sleeved shirts (regardless of weather) when visiting significant religious sites in Thailand. We turned around with hopes to return early the following morning to beat the heat and the crowds, which was a failed effort in itself since it is hot and crowded everywhere, all the time in Bangkok. Dressed in the correct attire, we made our way towards the palace on the second day. A friendly local quickly stopped me. If you’ve ever traveled with me, you’ll know that I’m easily distracted by people making attempts to talk to me or sell me something. The man I happened to talk to this time informed me that because of the new year celebration, the palace was closed for the day. Foiled again! He came to the rescue by recommending a few smaller wots (Buddhist temples) and Buddha statues that are off the beaten path. He helped us grab a tuk-tuk, and gave us some useful information about how much to expect for a ride and what to say if the driver tried to overcharge us, “Pang-Pai!” So, off we went, happy travelers on our way to an un-crowded cultural site. Sometime during our ride, our driver stopped at a silk shop and tried to get us to go in. Being the wise travelers we are, we said, “No, no, no” and demanded to only be taken to the sites we requested. He reluctantly pulled away and took us to our wots. But before too long, he needed gas and dropped us off at a shop where we could “wait in the air conditioning” while he filled up. Our caution momentarily escaped us because we got out and went inside. This establishment was not a silk shop, but it was a gem and jewelry store that was most likely in cahoots with our shady tuk-tuk driver. We took the relief from the heat and wandered around for a while before returning to our sneaky chauffeur. But we did not buy anything, much to the disappointment of the driver who quickly asked, “What did you buy?” upon our return. After getting back to our hostel, we read an interesting piece of information in our trusty Lonely Planet guide. To paraphrase, this warning says, “First time visitors to Bangkok beware of seemingly friendly, well dressed locals who will advise you of the closure of a major tourist attraction and route you elsewhere in their friend’s taxi. The driver will try and take you to silk and jewelry shops since they get a commission off your purchases.” What an interesting welcoming committee we ran into. We should have known better, but I’m convinced our good judgment was a result of jetlag.

With our guard up, we returned to the Grand Palace for the third time in three days. We saw our buddy the tuk-tuk driver and his friend on the way and they promptly walked in the opposite direction! Thankfully, the old saying is true, as third time was a charm. We walked through the gates with ease. It was maddeningly an unbearably hot, and we were shuffled around in a massive crowd until we found ourselves in front of some of the most amazing architectural structures we’ve ever seen. Each building is ornately decorated with colorful tiles and marble floorings. With the obvious care put into each one, it is difficult to imagine their age. Each building is an attraction, but the tiny Emerald Buddha is the main draw. He only stands about two feet tall, which is much smaller than we were expecting because of the hype. Even more deceiving is his name, “Emerald Buddha,” since he is actually made out of jade. He wears a different, elaborate gold leaf outfit for every season and sits atop an enormous gold altar. He has quite the history of travels between the Thai and Laotian kingdoms, and it is easy to see how despite his size, he is a major pilgrimage for many Buddhists. There were no cameras allowed in the wot, so I can’t show him to you, but trust me when I say that he was quite the compelling site.

After our successful trip to the Grand Palace, we spent the afternoon waiting for our friend Matt Soderberg to arrive. We all taxied down to Chinatown to find most of the markets closed, but we did score some delicious Chinese food. No one was brave or rich enough to try the shark fin soup, for which the area is known. It costs 3000 Baht a bowl, which is about 3 days budget for us. After Chinatown, we took another taxi to Patpong. This is one of Bangkok’s several red light districts. We’ve heard from other travelers that Patpong’s “Ping-Pong” shows were not to be missed. Sorry, parents, for the explanation you are about to receive, but culture is culture no matter how explicit it may be. Ping-Pong shows involve women placing various objects (eggs, Christmas lights, etc.) in their…particulars. Rest assured that our curiosity quickly died out.

After such an exhausting few days in the city, we were ready for our departure to Krabi, a city on the southern west coast of Thailand that is a major starting point for the fabulous Thai beaches. Our senses were definitely ready for some R&R by the beach.