Thailand II - Bangkok

Sunday, February 11:
We flew China Airlines out of LA. Another mechanical delay, caused our 13.5 hour flight to arrive late in Taipei, Taiwan. We missed our connecting flight, but fortunately we were bumped to the one last flight to Bangkok which took off just hour after our scheduled flight. Perfect!

After 21 hours on planes, and losing a day over the International Dateline, we arrived in Bangkok 4am Tuesday, February 13:

We stayed at the Century Park Hotel which was absolutely beautiful, but we were nervous to be in a foreign country. We thought Randy and Erin were pretty brave when they walked up the street to see what was around. But they convinced us to venture out, and we stopped at a local hole-in-the-wall for lunch. The food was delicious, and only 55baht (35baht/$1).
The first afternoon took the double-decker tour bus for a tour of the city. Some of the notable temples (Wats) we got off the bus to see first-hand.
Wat Trimit has the 3 meter, 18.5 ton, 18 karat golden Buddha. This Buddha is 700-800 years old. It was only "discovered" in 1955, and was previously covered in cement, plaster, and gold leaf. While moving the Buddha it was dropped and cracked, revealing the gold inside. They believe it was covered in plaster to hide it from invading Burmese. Wat Po, the most extensive Wat in Bangkok, covers 20 acres. It contains over 1000 Buddhas, including the Reclining Buddha which sits 46 meters long, 15 meters high, and is made of bronze and gold leaf. Wat Po also contains the 4 Chedies of the kings which serve a similar purpose as Egyptian pyramids. The Chedies are decorated in ceramics.Wat Benjamaborpitr is also known as the Marble Temple. This Wat is said to be one of the finest examples of Thai architecture, however, much of the building material is imported. The white marble and stained glass windows came from Italy.At night we took a taxi to watch some Muay Thai. Thai boxing tickets are ridiculously cheap for Thai, but 1000baht or more for foreigners. We entered the stadium and it was raucous. We sat on wooden bleachers behind a chain link fence separating us from the lower section. Thai men were all around us taking bets and yelling angrily. It was almost like being on the floor of the NYSE. Muay Thai is quite a spectacle. Prior to the start of the first round, both fighters perform the Wai Kru which consists of dancing and bowing. They are accompanied by Thai traditional music, incorporating Ching (cymbal), Klong khaek (tom-tom), and Pee Java (Thai reed pipe).The match consists of five 3 minute rounds. As the fight starts the music continues and builds in intensity. Punches, elbows, kicks, knees, and stand-up grappling are all legal. The night consisted of several smaller bouts, and one main event that was absolutely brutal. The costume is distinctive as well. Fighters wear armbands, known as Pra Jiad, which give good luck and confidence to the athletes. Head bands, known as Mong Kon, which are given to fighters by their teachers when they have achieved a level of skill. Lastly, the fighters wear Puang Malai, which are floral wreaths given to a fighter before a fight by friends or fans.

Wednesday, February 14:
At 6am Randy and I did a 10 mile run of Bangkok. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me. It gave me a taste of the real city and provided some amazing early morning views. Thai cities, and especially Bangkok have a unique smell that we noted on the run. The smell combines: roasted sausage from street vendors, human sewage, exhaust, and fresh flowers. Crossing streets was an adventure as the cars drive on the left, the traffic flows thick, and the lights are poorly timed. We were wise to get an early start as the Thailand heat and humidity are oppressive. Every day of the trip the temperature got into the 90s. Fortunately Thai cities have a 7-11 on every block selling cold bottled water for 10baht. Towards the end of our run the city came alive with activity. We had to push our sweaty, smelly, Caucasian bodies through the crowded sidewalks. We earned a few brownie points from our sweethearts for picking up Valentine's roses at a fresh flower market. In the afternoon Melissa and I ventured out with Randy and Erin to make our own tour of the city. We took the sky train down to the River. There, we found our own, personal Riverboat tour with a guide that took us down some back canals to view that region of the city. The boat was long and skinny with a big-block engine mounted outboard style with a straight drive-shaft down to the propeller. The weight of the swiveling engine caused the boat to tip to the outside of turns.The tour included a walk through Wat Arun, "the Temple of the Dawn."The prang (tower) is decorated with broken bits of porcelain which is recycled from previous uses ranging from ship ballast to king's dinner wear. Big, beautiful, and practical - now that's my kind of Wat.The tour concluded by dropping us off at the Grand Palace, where we did our own walking tour.
The Grand Palace served as the official residence of the king from the 18th century to the mid 20th century. It sits on 60 acres along the east bank of the Chao Phraya River. The whole thing felt a little "Magic Kingdomish" to me, but it was nice. The Grand Palace houses the Emerald Buddha which is actually made of a solid jade stone. It was discovered in 1434. Sorry, no pictures were allowed. The dress code in the Grand Palace is strict. Women must cover their shoulders and wear skirts below the knee or pants to the heel. Men must cover the shoulders and wear pants to the heel. For Randy and me this meant renting "temple pants."

After the Grand Palace we walked up the street to an authentic Thai restaurant. They served some funky fresh seafood. My plate was the most adventurous with a giant crayfish, oyster, and clear pasta. Yum. Afterwards I felt ill as we took a Riverboat taxi back down to the sky train terminal.That is when I had my first experience with an authentic Thai bathroom. You pay an attendant 5baht to enter. You have a stall with a ceramic basin that sits 9 inches off the ground. There is no paper available, but rather a spray nozzle similar to those some kitchen sinks are equiped with. To flush you use a bowl to scoop water from a bucket and pour it down the basin. It's different from what I'm used to, but when the oyster you ate starts giving you trouble, a ceramic basin is a welcomed site.

And much like my oyster, our first stay in Bangkok came and went in a blur.