Bangkok

Our journey began on a wet, frigid morning in Portland where we excitedly boarded a plane for warmer weather. After an unexpected interrogation by customs (Oliver seemed to fit the profile for a drug smuggler), we started our first 11 hour leg across the Pacific. A quick layover in Tokyo gave us the opportunity to stretch our legs and experience some technologically advanced toilets before settling in for another 7 hour flight. Amazingly, in a mere 18 hours, we found ourselves on the other side of the globe, some 7500 miles from our comfort zones. Exhausted, we stepped out into Bangkok, greeted by the sweet smell of warm tropical humidity, a far cry from the windy chill of home. Though we didn't arrive at our hotel until 2am, we were so excited we could hardly sleep.
We awoke the next morning, our bodies lethargic from jet-lag but our minds ready to tackle a new city, country, and culture. Since our hotel was centrally located in the old capitol, we were poised to explore the more prominent sights of Bangkok, such as the Grand Palace and many spectacular wats, or temples, sprinkled throughout the city.  Exploring on foot also gave us the opportunity to get lost in the back-alleys and side-streets and experience the real heart of Bangkok. Within hours, we realized that Bangkok isn't just a city; it is an assault on the senses. Delicious aromas wafting from food carts fight a losing battle against the malodorous mixture of sewage, people and pollution. Amulet, trinket, and clothing vendors struggle to hawk their wares over the ever-present din of tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis. Gleaming, intricate temples with tiled floors tower above one-room shanty houses connected by wooden planks. Yet, even among these stark contrasts, the famous Thai smile is a comforting constant and a reminder of why Thailand is known as "The Land of Smiles."

Wat Rajapradit

Pretty lady with the Grand Palace in the background.

While we found the Grand Palace to be beautiful, it was extremely overcrowded with tourists, so we found peace in exploring the nooks and crannies of Wat Pho, an amazing complex housing a massive reclining gold Buddha as well as the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand. To add to our delight, Wat Pho is also the headquarters for the conservation and education of traditional Thai massage, a fact we all too happily took advantage of. Equally agonizing and pleasurable, depending on your threshold for pain, our Thai masseuses worked out all the kinks and knots from our long journey. By this time, the sun was at its zenith and we were feeling pretty loose so we took a page from our South American travels and headed back to the hotel for a little siesta in some much appreciated air conditioning. After cooling down we felt refreshed but hungry, so we headed down the street to Bangkok's "oldest restaurant" and dined on some delicious recipes passed down from a former palace cook. Even this "expensive" meal came out to only around $8 US. We may be budget travelers but we still know how to splurge!

The guardians of Wat Pho.

The world's largest reclining Buddha at 140 ft long and 45ft tall.

No shoes in the temple!

One of the many beautiful sights in Wat Pho.

A few of the 394 gilded Buddhas at Wat Pho.

All the tourists were at the Grand Palace and we had Wat Pho to ourselves.

Hearing about an early morning market near our hotel, we set out before sunrise the next day to take in an authentic Thai market. Our early rising was rewarded by a market flush with unique foods and sights: a smorgasbord of fruits and vegetables, many completely foreign to us; monks in saffron robes gathering their daily alms; whole fish frying in vats of oil heating over wood stoves; old women weaving multi-colored flowers into necklaces and bracelets; and best of all, not a single other tourist! We feasted on chicken satay, a delicious noodle dish, a sausage wrapped in a waffle, egg rolls and barbecued chicken, with fresh pineapple and sponge cake for dessert. All this set us back a whole $3 US. Our bellies spoiled and full, we next indulged our eyes and ears at a huge flower market, waded through sarees in Little India, and came upon the incredibly impressive, and deserted, Wat Suthat. This was the first wat that actually had more Thais than tourists and we had the pleasure of sitting in during a Buddhist prayer ceremony. We spent the rest of the day wandering the streets of Old Bangkok, which is far easier said than done. There are few rules guiding the flow of traffic and sidewalks are almost non-existent so we stuck to the more pedestrian-friendly, and more interesting, side-streets and alleys. Plus, these nooks are where one finds strange and often wonderful street food. Laura has developed a taste for Thai soups, even though its sweltering out, and Oliver loves any sort of meat on a stick. Fair warning: there will probably be a lot of talk about food in this blog.

The sun rising on the morning market.

Dodging tuk-tuks and taxis on the streets of Bangkok.

You know you're in Bangkok when...

The impressive Wat Suthat. We had this temple pretty much to ourselves also.

One of the many khlongs, or canals, which runs through the "Venice of the East".

Giving alms to our Chinese Zodiac animals.

What a pig.

Delicious street food is everywhere!

While we spent two fantastic days in Bangkok, we barely sampled it's many delights. Luckily, we still have a couple more days here near the end of our trip. But first, we head north to revel in the history and culture of ancient Thailand.