Bangkok
When I left Vancouver Island on April 12, it was snowing.
It was quite a hassle to get all the required documents ready for my Thailand trip, followed by several checks and double-checks by airport staff groups of at least three in Vancouver and in Seoul. Getting through the checkpoints at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok was a breeze. I had to book a special SHA+ hotel that offered airport pickup, Covid PCR test, and one night quarantine until a negative test result was confirmed. Now the rules have changed, and this is no longer necessary. The next day at 10:00 I was free to go!
Bangkok greeted me with 41 °C. Even for a sun lover like me a bit much to take. I moved to a hotel right in the center in Sukhumvit and started exploring my new surroundings.
Single, mostly older men, sitting in open bars scanning the streets for a companion to satisfy their fantasies, whatever they might be. Silicon-enhanced boobs that threatened to break out of their confinement at any given moment, miniskirts that miraculously stayed below the waistline, heels that resembled mini-stilts. Sex toys, some of astonishing sizes, spread out on long lines of folding tables on the sideways. Seeing is different than just hearing the stories. I wasn’t brave enough to take photos, I wasn’t brave enough to at least do a quick tour of Nana Entertainment Plaza (google it if you are curious) and meet the ladyboys on the second floor as a good friend had suggested. Missed out on that sociological study which sure would have been interesting.
So, with the really interesting stuff out of the way, the rest of my Bangkok days were filled with less dramatic but astonishing temple architecture, some creatures that might have escaped right out of Jurassic Park, and a peek into ordinary people's living and working environment.
Some trivia from Wikipedia: Wat Pho is one of Bangkok's oldest temples (probably built in the 16th century). Most famous statue is the Reclining Buddha with the posture of a sleeping or reclining lion. The figure is 15 m high and 46 m long, one of the largest Buddha statues in Thailand. The soles of the feet of the Buddha are 3 m high and 4.5 m long, inlaid with mother-of-pearl. They are each divided into 108 arranged panels, displaying the auspicious symbols by which Buddha can be identified, such as flowers, dancers, white elephants, tigers, and altar accessories.
The Reclining Buddha is 15 m high and 46 m long. It is one of the largest Buddha statues in Thailand.
The heat was slowing me down and cut my excursions shorter. I lost count of the blisters on my toes, but other than that: life was good!
I love getting lost in the big city and its maze of side alleys. Google Maps is amazingly reliable. Occasionally I lost the internet connection provided through my local SIM card. But even then, Google would still show me the direction I was headed to. At the end of the day, I often had to connect my power bank because my battery was depleted.
Cable art! You’ll notice many pictures with the wildest wirings, like this one. If I can’t avoid them, I just accept them as part of the photo.
The Grand Palace is made up of numerous buildings, halls, and pavilions set around open lawns, gardens, and courtyards. Its asymmetry and eclectic styles are attributed to its organic development, with many additions and rebuildings made over the last 200 years. No longer used as a residence by the royal family.
I was early and promptly approached by a tuk-tuk driver who told me that, for whatever reason, the Royal Palace was closed until afternoon. A well-known trick to lure tourists into costly sight-seeing—and probably shopping—tours. No thanks! Of course, the Palace and all buildings were open.
Lumpini Park (or Lumphini Park) is one of the largest green spaces in central Bangkok. Founded in the 1920s, it's now a popular spot for Bangkok residents for jogging, bicycling, aerobics, and other leisurely activities.
At a first glance I didn’t notice anything extraordinary at this park until I spotted this enormous Jurassic Park creature!
Here's a funny CNN video featuring one of these monitors on a shopping spree at 7-Eleven.
The Bangkok home and Asian art collection of the late James H.W. Thompson, a famous architect, also known as the "Thai Silk King".
Unique yet traditional Thai architecture. The teak houses are elevated a full story above the ground, a practical precaution to avoid flooding during the rainy season.
Another temple, yet very different in architectural design and style.
