The first two days we were in Bangkok.
I was over-whelmed by the noise, so many people, pollution, and prostitution.
It was a difficult place for me to be and gave me a new appreciation for my home
and where I lived.
On the first full day, we took a canal boat tour.
Even on the river people were trying to sell you things.
Several times our transportation would take us to jewelry stores instead of where we wanted to go.
They were trying to get us to shop as they got a cut of the sale.
It became very frustrating and we finally refused to get out of the taxi until they took us where we wanted to go.
Everywhere you looked there were Buddhas.
This is the reclining Buddha.
There were Reclining Buddhas, Emerald Buddhas, Smiling Buddhas,
Serious Buddhas, Fat Buddhas, and Skinny Buddhas.
We ended our first day by visiting the Jim Thompson home.
Here we had a lovely Thai meal and the home and grounds were like an oasis in the city.
Jim Thompson was an American that fell in love with Thailand early in the 1900's.
He developed their silk industry and even today is one of the best silks.
The second full day we spent visiting the Royal Palace.
The king of Thailand is very much beloved and his image was everywhere.
Part of the Royal Palace.
It was very opulent.
The grounds covered a large area.
The weather the full two weeks in Thailand were from 90 to 100 degrees with very high humidity.
This also created a challenge for me.
On this particular day at the end of the tour I was sitting and resting before we headed back to our hotel.
Two college students approached me and as a way of practicing their English they gave me a survey.
They were quite cute and it was fun to talk to them.
This ended our time in Bangkok and we were happy to move on.
Double click on any of the picture to see them larger.
The weather the full two weeks in Thailand were from 90 to 100 degrees with very high humidity.
This also created a challenge for me.
On this particular day at the end of the tour I was sitting and resting before we headed back to our hotel.
Two college students approached me and as a way of practicing their English they gave me a survey.
They were quite cute and it was fun to talk to them.
This ended our time in Bangkok and we were happy to move on.
Double click on any of the picture to see them larger.
13 comments:
I had a friend who used to spend a lot of time in Thailand. I never could understand the attraction. Your experience just confirms it. The temples and sites though are beautiful and well worth the experience, I think.
I greatly appreciate the honesty of your report, Marilyn! Those are things I wouldn't have been expecting, and I'm happy you didn't gloss over the reality. I also didn't realize it would be so hot there so soon (although it's 96 in Georgia today -- sheesh!). One of the nice things about traveling anywhere, in my opinion, is that it always makes me appreciate HOME even more!
I love all you share
Fabulous
Love Jeanne
Fantastic photos, and I appreciate that you're sharing the authenticity of your experience. The transition between cultures can be very trying, and given the heat - whew!
Very interesting post, Marilyn. I don't know how I would react to conditions there. The heat and humidity would be a problem for sure. It does look like an exotic and beautiful place.
Glad you and Mister J got home safely from the road(s) -- absolutely loved our short visit together!!!!! Will write about the Thai tea when I try it :-) Thank you so much, xo from Dustin et moi,
Trix
I hope so much you are feeling better Marilyn. I'm so interested in hearing your reports from Thailand.......I will be there myself later this year (hopefully it will be cooler!). Will be in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, then on to Vietnam! I know that there are areas in these countries much different from what we are used to.......eye openers I'm sure. This is what makes travel so interesting though.
Between you and I, La Madone was the best though, no worries of any kind, I loved it so much and felt totally comfortable and relaxed, didn't you? Some day must go back!
Looking forward to more stories and pics dear.
Hugs - Mary
Thank you for sharing your time in Bangkok. It brought back many memories of the time that I was able to spend there. I also experienced some culture shock when I arrived.
oh my gosh....your photos actually remind me of my trip to hong kong.....the river people and the natives wanting to practice english.....
these are great photos marilyn and i'm guessing you have hundreds of them !!
i hope you're feeling better....take it slow and nap frequently !
Quite the diverse experiences! Haven't been to Thailand, but I've heard similar tales about people constantly trying to sell things. Glad you enjoyed at least part of your trip! That kind of heat and humidity would be tough for me too (even though I grew up in that kind of weather; I still don't like it, unless there's a swimming pool nearby). :) x
Did you know I grew up in the Jim Thompson home? That was my dad's name!
Seriously, I loved seeing this part of the world through your eyes. I would struggle with the reality of life there, too. Thank you for sharing it with us.
~Adrienne~
I can see why it owuld be overwhelming. When Rick and I went to Japan, our first days were in Tokyo and there as so much sensory overload, combined with not being able to read or understand the language, I was pretty freaked! And I can see why those temps would be pretty intense. But since I'm reading backwards, I'm seeing how made up for "lost" time!
The prostitution would have broken my heart, too.
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