A couple of weeks ago, I left Matt to fend for himself while I took in all that Bangkok, Thailand had to offer. My friend Crystal had a few days off work so we jumped at the chance to travel and shop without our loving husbands rolling their eyes at every purchase we wanted to make ;) Bangkok has such a different feel from Singapore - it's dirty and crowded and you have to barter for everything - yet those are the very things that make visiting Bangkok so fun! While I'm not sure what Bangkok is officially known for, if I had to guess I'd say its shopping, temples, shopping, muay Thai fighting, and more shopping. From street vendors on every corner to night markets to weekend markets, you can truly find anything you need (and don't need!) there. Oh and the food! I love Thai food...which is tricky considering my peanut allergy and the fact that they put peanuts in everything. Thankfully, I carried a trusty note with me that explained I have a peanut allergy in Thai and it worked like a charm :) I took a million pictures so it was hard to decide which to post on the blog, but I think the ones I chose will give you a good feel for what Bangkok is all about!
This is how the traffic was pretty much everywhere we went. At one point the traffic was so bad and we felt so car sick that we had to get out in the middle of the street and walk our way to the train. All part of the experience!
Food vendors lined every single street
Our first dinner was at a restaurant right next to the main night market and the food was fantastic! YUM!
This is the MBK, a huge mall, popular for people watching.
The next day we made our way to the Grand Palace and Wat Po. I snapped this picture of a "Tuk Tuk" taxi, a popular way for people to get around Bangkok. Tuk Tuk drivers go crazy fast on the freeways, zip through alley ways and weave in and out of traffic. You can't go to Thailand without experiencing a heart-stopping ride in one of these things!
Anyway, our first stop was the Grand Palace...and to be honest, the best word to describe is...Grand! It's absolutely massive and the temples and structures have the most intricate details throughout. It was built by King Rama I as the royal residence in 1782. The royal family no longer lives at the Grand Palace so today it's more or less a tourist attraction that can't be missed!
Surprisingly, I saw very few monks while in Thailand, but I did notice a few touring the Grand Palace!
This is a replica of the famous Angkor Wat which is in Cambodia
The centerpiece of the Grand Palace is the Emerald Buddha, a small statue which is actually made of jade and believed to be from Sri Lanka. It sits on a totally gold altar and people line up to worship him. Pictures are not allowed inside the temple, so the only one I could get is this one from a distance!
Soldiers marching around the temple...in the rain!
Our next stop was Wat Po, Bangkok's oldest and largest surviving temple. It dates back to the 16th century! To me, the main attraction was the Reclining Buddha, a 151 foot, gold-covered statue of Buddha depicting his passing into nirvana. All throughout the grounds of Wat Po, you can find ancient statues so after checking out the Reclining Buddha, I spent some time taking pictures of the statues.
As you enter the site of the Reclining Buddha, you walk down a long hall with open sections to see the Buddha from different angles.
The bottom of Buddha's feet are inlaid with tiny mother-of-pearl designs.
For our third night in the city, we decided to dig a little deeper into Thai culture and check out some Thai boxing! Muay Thai, the national sport of Thailand, is a contest of kickboxing fought by tiny little guys! We headed over to Lumphini Boxing Stadium and geared up to watch several fights including the main event. We had to sit ringside as we were told that the locals get a little rowdy. The fight drew in a huge crowd of people yelling, cheering, and jumping up and down. It was quite an experience...and surprisingly, it was my favorite part of the entire trip!
This is the fighter that was predicted to win the main event
This is the challenger
Before the fight, the boxers must perform the Ram Muay, a series of gestures and movements performed to music. It serves to show respect to the boxers' trainers and to calm the boxers (and yes, I definitely had to ask about that).
A live band plays music (the sound is very ear piercing and takes some getting used to) during the entire fight.
The crowd is ready!
A break between fights...with the predicted winner looking a little tired!
...and the winner is...
The Challenger...BLUE!
On our final full day in Bangkok, we spent our time shopping at the famous Chatuchak Market. The outdoor, totally un-airconditioned, endless market is said to be length of 5 football fields! I wouldn't know because we certainly didn't make it to the end. If you need something, its probably at Chatuchak...from housewares, to clothes, to accessories, to shoes, to pets, to food, to beautiful teak wood carvings...its all there!
Ready to shop!
Inside the narrow aisles of Chatuchak
Yep, they have everything...including clothed squirrels.
And like I said above, a trip to Thailand is not complete without a ride in a Tuk-Tuk!
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