Bangkok is a vibrant, frenetic city, where old asian history and modern western ideas exist happily side by side. You are confronted with with an amazing array of sights, sounds, smells and tastes that you have never experienced before. The oppresive heat and humidity only adds to the sensation.
It seems that everywhere you go in Bangkok there is somebody trying to sell you something. You can choose the brand new, multi-level, air-conditioned shopping malls, the chaotic, pulsating markets or the street vendors - commerce is the way of life in this South-East Asian metropolis.
The wonderful food of Thailand is one of the many highlights to be experienced. You can choose to dine in a ritzy restaurant, but the saying is that out on the street you get exactly the same thing - just for a fraction of the price. You can get a freshly cooked meal from a street vendor for the equivalent of about $1. It seems clean and safe - I have had no stomach upsets (or even a cold) so far!
Hidden amongst the traffic jams, noise and pollution are the Wats - the Buddhist temples. They give you a chance to catch your breath and to see some of the most amazing, intricate architecture you are ever likely to to come across. The enormous, gold reclining buddha is a sight to behold.
The Grand Palace covers a huge area in the middle of the old part of town. Once the residence of the highly revered King, it is now mainly a ceremonial centre, and Bangkok's number one tourist attraction.
Fortunately for caffeine addicts, coffee shops are never too far away. Here I am in Starbucks with another new teacher at RIS, Stacey, who is from Canada and teaches in the Elementary School
So much of the character of Bangkok revolves around its waterways. Once known as the "Venice of the East" many of its canals have been paved over to satisfy the love affair that Thais have with their cars. However the mighty Chao Phrya River, brown from the silt that it has carried from the north, flows quickly to the Gulf of Thailand and is busy with boats of all shapes and sizes. A number of khlongs or canals still criss-cross the city and provide an alternative to the roads and a place for the water to escape after a thunderstorm. Even so, heavy rain turns most of Bangkok's streets into the canals of the past and the already slow traffic comes to a standstill.
The Baiyoke Tower is the tallest building in Bangkok, soaring above the mass of humanity below to the 84th floor. It is a great place to get your bearings on the size of the city, catch the cooling breeze and grab a meal or a drink. Watching the sunset and the lights of the city take over is a memorable experience.
On a day in Krung Thep - the local name for Bangkok meaning the city of angels - you only really scratch the surface of all that it has to offer. However, there will be plenty more days like this ahead.
So much of the character of Bangkok revolves around its waterways. Once known as the "Venice of the East" many of its canals have been paved over to satisfy the love affair that Thais have with their cars. However the mighty Chao Phrya River, brown from the silt that it has carried from the north, flows quickly to the Gulf of Thailand and is busy with boats of all shapes and sizes. A number of khlongs or canals still criss-cross the city and provide an alternative to the roads and a place for the water to escape after a thunderstorm. Even so, heavy rain turns most of Bangkok's streets into the canals of the past and the already slow traffic comes to a standstill.
The Baiyoke Tower is the tallest building in Bangkok, soaring above the mass of humanity below to the 84th floor. It is a great place to get your bearings on the size of the city, catch the cooling breeze and grab a meal or a drink. Watching the sunset and the lights of the city take over is a memorable experience.
On a day in Krung Thep - the local name for Bangkok meaning the city of angels - you only really scratch the surface of all that it has to offer. However, there will be plenty more days like this ahead.
Again great pictures and commentary. Can you keep this up till Christmas? Now there's a challenge!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing City. You must have been flat out to see so much in a weekend. Not sure how I would cope with eating a meal from a street vendor. However you haven't been sick so I guess that is the proof of the pudding.
ReplyDeleteSeems like Stacey has a greater caffeine addiction than you!
ReplyDelete