My first full day in Thailand started slowly, taking advantage of a late check-out time, before officially starting my Intrepid tour. I transferred to my new room (same hotel), coincidentally met our tour leader Emmy, then set out on a swelteringly hot day for a classic tourist destination: the Grand Palace.
This batch includes several pix of the enormous painted panels, the sparkling gold brocade architecture, and the Emerald Buddha, an actually very small statue surrounded by sumptuous decorations, and obviously revered by my fellow visitors. All of this is just a rather small part of a huge complex…
This batch includes pix from the Museum at the Grand Palace, a separate textiles & fashion museum, and some orchids…
The heat is hot for everyone! But riding a tuk tuk can cool you off! That’s how I got to Khao San Road, near the Palace, and a tourist spot that ML & I missed when we were here 25 years ago, and still rather missable. Nonetheless, I had a pleasant moment at a nice eatery (My Darling?), and bought some shades. Note the silver store, canals, shrimp, and some night life on the streets following our first tour dinner…
Our first excursion as a group was a boat ride on some of the canals of Bangkok. Interesting passage through a lock, fish feeding, and life on the water. Check the clips…!
Next, we went to visit the Reclining Buddha complex. Whereas the Emerald Buddha was actually quite small, the Reclining Buddha is huge – half a football field inside a decorative building. While one is not supposed to show the bottoms of one’s feet to the Buddha while praying at a shrine, the bottoms of the Reclining Buddha’s feet are spectacularly decorated with inlayed mother of pearl. Note the shrines, intricate wall paintings, and the guard statues…
The complex is vast, and challenges the Grand Palace for coolness (even on a hot day). The time lapse is of only part of the perimeter wall lined with golden buddhas. In addition to the Reclining Buddha, there are 99 pagodas, myriad shrines & temples, Chinese garden islands, and a museum dedicated to Thai massage (historically related to the site)…
Next, we went to the Flower Market, and the adjacent veggie market (tho’ the first pic is of Ron candy and the second to last is of shark fins for soup). Lots of marigolds and orchids, many for religious offerings. This batch includes a shrine to the patron saint of the market, and ends with a sincere young man who really wanted his picture taken. Voila…
Later that day, we made our way across town to the enormous Bangkok train station and got on the overnight to Chiang Mai. Time lapse and pix of city at dusk, and night from the upper bunk…
Next: Chiang Mai…