Busy Busy Bangkok

I've now been in Bangkok for 3 full days and, wow, is it busy! I think it's the most hectic city I've ever visited! You walk down the street and the second you pull out a map there are about three Thais trying to "help" you find your way by basically shoving you into a tuk-tuk. You've got to convince them that you don't need one and are fine to walk, but they will follow you down the sidewalk for a few meters before they move onto the next unsuspecting tourist.

My first full day here was a Friday. I went to the Grand Palace which was absolutely amazing. The largest jade Buddha is in the wat there, and it was once the home for Thai royalty. Now it's mostly used for ceremonial purposes. The architecture is amazing! I will be sure to post some pictures as soon as I have a way to get the photos onto a computer. You've got to wear clothes that cover your shoulders and long pants, so Pat and I toured around in the heat and humidity, fully clothed, with sweat seeping through our clothes and pouring down our faces. We were a sight for sore eyes, let me tell you!



Then we decided to head for Wat Pho, which houses the largest reclining Buddha in Thailand. Along the way we were fed one of the typical lines of a con-artist. As we walked by he told us he could get us cheap tickets for something and that Wat Pho is closed, which I knew couldn't have been true. I had also been warned about this tactic. It was still weird to see them try to play it out, though...

Anyway, so we got to see the reclining Buddha. The position of the Buddha signifies different stages in his life and different actions. A reclining Buddha, like the one in Wat Pho, represents the Buddha reaching enlightenment. I had read about this Buddha and seen pictures in books and from various friends but none of that prepared me for how ridiculously huge it really was! I reckon that if I had laid down next to it, you would have to stack at least 25 Hallie's head-to-toe to be the same length as the statue.... So, you've got a ridiculously large, gold-leafed Buddha, with mother of pearl inlays... now there's something to marvel at!



After touring this, we decided we had had enough wats for one day and we decided to check out one of the big shopping centers in the city. We went to MBK which is a giant mall, about 5 stories high. We got some really great food there--a combination meal of Japanese food and Thai food, with sushi and everything--for USD$12 each. I'm loving the exchange rate over here right now...

Then we headed back in to celebrate the fourth of July and I ended up just going to bed because I was still jet lagged and after a big day out I was completely exhausted.

That night was a very interesting night as Pat got pretty inebriated and climbed into his top bunk... about an hour or so later, right after I had drifted of to sleep I heard a funny sound. Kinda of like rain on a tarp. I opened my eyes and took out one headphone just in time to hear him throwing up. Ends up he hadn't had time to get out of his bunk, and that sounds I woke up to was actually some vomit landing on my book which was right next to me. Needless to say, I slept on the floor that night, as my sheets wouldn't get changed until the next morning. He woke up feeling terrible--both physically and emotionally as he had thrown up on me the night before. But I laughed it off and gave him a hard enough time. But next time, I'm taking the top bunk, for sure... hah.

I woke up the next morning (yesterday) and we headed out to the weekend markets and to the Tourism Authority of Thailand office to get some information about getting around Bangkok and traveling around Thailand and to surrounding countries. We didn't get done at the TAT office until almost 4:00 so I decided to come back to the hostel and plan the next leg of our trip, to Chiang Mai and to book some flights to get there and to Phuket from Chiang Mai. Pat went with a girl we met at the hostel, Erin, to the markets.

We met back up for dinner and to go to a Muay Thai boxing match at Lumphini Boxing Stadium. That was pretty cool to see traditional Thai boxing. It's such high energy and so intense! The boxers were all pretty young and not as big as American boxers--more lean muscle with incredibly agility. Pat had taken lessons before so he was able to explain it to Erin and I, but most of it was pretty intuitive and, although I didn't understand the specific scoring, I was able to infer who had won the match pretty easily.

Today I slept in pretty late even though I had intended to wake up around 930 and get a head start on the day. Pat and Erin decided to spend the day together, so I went off on my own. I went to the weekend Chatuchak market and spent about two hours checking out only a very small portion of the stalls that are there, which total about 15,000. They sell any and everything here! I saw stalls offering everything puppies, kittens and trainers to coconut milk and boxer-shorts to toys and art. It was a whole 'nother world in there! While walking through the market I also came across someone rapping a Timbaland song through a small PA, a really young boy doing rediculous soccer tricks and another man singing Jack Johnson in a very thick Thai accent. So there's something different for ya! And there were some tiny make-shift cafes in the midst of all of these stalls, one of which I stopped into for some lunch and to read up on what there is to do in Chiang Mai. I think I've decided to go a cooking class while I'm there so hopefully I can cook up some of the amazing Thai cuisine when I get home!

So, I've been completely overwhelmed by Bangkok and my original impression of it wasn't too positive with the con-artists and the pesky tuk-tuk drivers, but I've really enjoyed all of the architecture. I also really appreciate how devout the people are to the Buddhist religion, and all of the temples and smaller shrines you can find in the city. It's interesting to see how important a role religion plays. And my individual adventure into the city this afternoon was my favourite part of my time here so far. It was nice to be able to go by my own schedule. I am so glad to have Pat around, but I definately intend on taking a few more solo days so I can explore at my own pace.

Tomorrow night I head for Chiang Mai (see below) and I really can't wait for that. I think getting out of a big city, especially when I endeavour on an overnight hill-tribe trek will be really eye-opening. And it will be nice to be able to breathe some fresh air again! I'll be sure to update again soon!