2 nights in Bangkok, and the world's your oyster

OK, I just had to use that quip at some time, didn't I???

First impression walking out of the Bangkok airport on Thursday night: damn, it's hot. I know, shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was almost 11:00pm, and it was like being in a steamroom. After travelling for over 24 hours, I was just happy to be off a plane and out of an airport, though. I had a surprising thing happen on the taxi ride into my hotel... The taxi fare was actually less than what was quoted by the hotel. I think in all my travels this is the first time an airport taxi driver has not tried to rip me off first thing upon arrival. I was hoping that was a good sign for the rest of the trip.

My hotel, the Rambuttri Village Inn, is on Soi Rambuttri. It is a lively street at all times of day. Pulling up at 11:30 at night, I was surprised to see things quite hopping. Open air restaurants and pubs, street vendors, food carts, beer carts, pretty much everything was going on. Luckily, my hotel is set back quite a ways, so there is no street noise. I had to decide between sleep and food, and food won out. A little pad thai cart right outside the hotel looked interesting, and had a good crowd around it. So for 50 baht (around 75 cents) I had myself a nice plate of pad thai and a spring roll. Ate with 2 women from Germany who were ordering at the same time and vouched for the food. Went to bed shortly later with a full and happy tummy.

Friday night, my first full day in Bangkok.... so, what did I do? I went to the mall. Yes, the mall. I needed to get my cell phone unlocked and a new sim card put in so I can call locally if needed. The mall is not just a mall, it is a HUGE mall. 6+ floors of anything and everything. There must have been at least 100+ counters/stalls just devoted to cell phones and accessories. But I was told this was the place to go, and they set me up just as I needed. I tried hard to avoid spending more time in that place, but it was hard to resist. I finally pulled myself away and headed outside. Oh, did I mention? It was hot. Strangely, it felt better than last night, but it was still hot. Probably over 90. (One of these days I have to figure out the whole celsius thing.) But one of the things the Thai do well is air conditioning. They really know their air conditioning.

Going back outside after being in AC was hard, but I had to do it. I walked a few blocks to see the Jim Thompson house. He was an American that post WWII brought back the Thai silk trade, so they love him for that. His old house has been converted into a museum, and it was a really great place to see what traditional Thai architecture and furnishing looks like. It also had a really nice garden, which was shaded and provided some relief from the heat.

Besides the heat, I found out the unexpected nature of Bangkok weather. Just as I was arriving at one of the local temples/monuments, the Golden Mount (part of a local temple, built on an artificial hill), a black cloud was looming above. I raced up the hundreds of itty bitty steps winding around the temple, getting inside the temple just in time before the sky opened up. The view was great, almost better with the ominous clouds covering the city. And the wind picked up and provided some nice relief from the heat. (Yep, it was hot. Who figured?) But, it was past 4:30, and the temple closed at 5:00. Around 5:30, there were about 10 of us left, hoping not to be thrown out into the rain. Finally, a buddhist monk in orange robes came out with a handful of umbrellas, offering one to each of us. I don't know if he was earning good karma, or if he just wanted us gone because it was his dinner time. Either way, it was appreciated. I finished off the day with a traditional Thai foot massage. ahhhh!

Today, I tried to repay a bit of the good karma, putting donations into just about every box I passed at both temples I visted. I went to 2 of the 3 big ones, Wat Arun and Wat Pho. Both were spectacular! Wat Pho's main attraction is a 150 foot long reclining buddha. There are several smaller temples on the grounds, and it really is a huge complex. Wat Arun is as tall as Wat Pho is wide, though. Wat Arun's main temple is almost 250 feet tall, and has very very steep stairs to get almost to the top of that. (Going down was scarier than going up.) Both Wats featured an abundance of amazing porcelain work, stone carvings (guardians, lions, various animals, etc.), and lots of orange clad monks. Both also featured a lot of sun. Shade is a scarce commodity around here. Got in both a tuk tuk ride and a ride on the river ferry.

I am realizing fast that there is a lot more to see & do in Bangkok than I originally figured on. I know I can't fit it all in, but trying to choose between sights and activities is proving harder than I thought. Also, trying to decide between the food is a tough choice. Everything I've had - whether from open air food carts to white table cloth restaurants - has been great.

Palaces and more wats are on the list for tomorrow. And shopping - the big market here is only on the weekends. I've been here for almost 48 hours and haven't bought a thing! Also hoping to fit in some time to soak in the rooftop pool at the hotel, and of course, another massage.

Sawadee.