Bangkok's Beguiling Beauty

Chao Phraya river in central Bangkok, Wat Po as seen from Wat Arun

After our rejuvenating time living life in the slow and peaceful island way of Koh Lanta, the nonstop roller-coaster of Bangkok was indeed a wild ride, but definitely not an unpleasant one.  We had been excited to see Bangkok and catch a glimpse into all her secrets for years, and she didn't disappoint us during our 1st week-long sojourn there.  

Sunset along one of the canal docks on Chao Phraya

Matt in front of the Myanmar Embassy in the Silom area of Bangkok

One of Silom's amazing working breakfast options =)

We took a minivan ride and a couple of quick ferries to Krabi, where we caught an AirAsia flight to Bangkok.  We had chosen 3 different neighborhoods to lodge in for our week in Bangkok in order to better experience all that the city had to offer.  The first was Silom, chosen as it was near the Myanmar Embassy.  We needed visas to get into Myanmar and this required a little bit of finesse.  

Documenting our documents before handing them over

Line up early in the AM, get jam packed into a mid-sized hall, and hope that you were in the right line.  Hours later, relieved of your passports and some Thai bhat, you were thrust back out into the good-natured hum of Silom's streets filled with business men and women catching lunch from one of the countless (and fabulous) food stalls.  This business district is a place we came to LOVE for it's food.  So much variety, so quick, and cheap.  Coffee to go?  Of course.  Shumai for breakfast, absolutely.  Steaming bowls of meats, veg, and broth?  For sure.  It was heaven.  

Head of the very large reclining Buddha in Wat Pho

Most of the rest of the reclining Buddha

Bowls for offerings surrounded the reclining Buddha

We had great fun taking the klong (canal) boats to visit some of the finest temples in the world.  First on our list was the magnificent Wat Po complex.  It was hot, but spectacular, to be in such an amazing place.  We wandered into and out of the buildings, exploring and finding quiet corners and gardens with (surprisingly) no one else around.  The brilliant blue sky set off the gold and myriad of other colors that adorned the temple roofs and walls.  Such incredible detail was a testament to how important this area was to Bangkok and the Thai people.  

Part of the Wat Pho complex

Me with a quiet temple among the many of Wat Pho

Beautiful rooftops

Rows and rows of Buddha statues

Paying our respects inside one of Wat Pho's many temples

More fabulous Wat Pho

Gold leaf offerings on the hand of Buddha

After our Wat Po experience, we headed across the river to take in Wat Arun, an incredibly detailed tower-like structure that dominated the nearby landscape.  And one could walk up the side of most of this thing!  We were rewarded with excellent views of Bangkok after scaling the very steep (and crumbling) stairs.  The sun was just beginning to set and we were treated to some extraordinary Bangkok light as it sunk below the horizon.  

Me with Wat Arun

Wat Arun complex

Example of the amazing interior of the temples at Wat Arun

Heading further up Wat Arun

About halfway up Wat Arun -- fabulous views!

Such lovely details

Mistaking the protests for a street fair...it can happen...

On another note, the demonstrations and protests against the current president and government were beginning to ramp up as we arrived in Bangkok, and it was on the lips of all the other tourists and citizens alike.  After obtaining our Myanmar visas and breaking my toe on the bed frame in our hotel, we headed nearer the thick of it in an area near Khao San Road.  This location put us very near Democracy Monument, a centerpiece of the demonstrations.  It was surprising peaceful however, so much so that one evening on our way back from the Chinatown area, we found ourselves in the midst of what we thought was a concert and street fair.  There were children playing, food stalls with divine aromas wafting from their grills and vats, someone on stage singing, whistles and noisemakers periodically sounding off into the night and families catching up and dishing out the latest gossip.  We were in the protest and didn't even know it.  

Matt with some of Khao San's best street food

Yum, yum, yum!

Evening on Khao San Road

Khao San Road was excellent for street life, night life, and foodie life.  We wandered the criss-crossing streets, sampling all sorts of amazing treats.  Several times we found ourselves seated on little stools with a little table full of tempting plates, with little or no idea as to how to put it together or eat it.  Thankfully, there were always locals nearby to give us a few tips and suggestions, and on many an occasion, we simply peered over shoulders to see how everyone around us was eating a particular dish.  I have no doubt that we made a few faux pas, but they were delicious ones at least.  

Matt at the Bangkok National Museum

Temples at the Grand Palace

The Grand Palace was next up on the agenda, and the surrounding streets were decked out to the nines with lights, pictures, etc as it was soon to be the Thai King's birthday.  The palace grounds and temples were packed, but we thoroughly enjoyed our trip there just the same.  The detail and architecture were simply outstanding, and we had a perfect sunny day on which to enjoy it all.  The only down side was that I had to rent a shirt, as apparently, shawls aren't good enough to cover one's shoulders at the palace.  Live and learn, I guess.  =)  

Temples at the Grand Palace -- me in my rented shirt =)

The Emerald Buddha

 A home fit for a King

Khao San Rd traffic during the night of the King's birthday

On the eve of the King's birthday celebrations we wandered the streets and celebrated alongside the rest of Bangkok, quite happy to be on foot (albeit a broken one for me) as opposed to the gridlocked lanes of vehicle traffic.  It was truly a unique time to be in Thailand, and I'm grateful we were able to experience so many aspects of both the modern and ancient parts of the culture.  

Birthday lights!

Out for a stroll with the rest of Bangkok

Street vendor in Bangkok's Chinatown

Matt receives his tailor-made items at the iCheck Inn

After 3 nights in our delightfully drab Khao San budget accommodation ($17/night and only 1 power outlet, but it did have a good hot shower and was infestation free), we moved on to the Sukhumvit neighborhood, where we alighted in what was to become one of our favorite accommodations of the whole year, the iCheck Inn.  Somewhat difficult to find?  Yes.  Worth it?  Yes.  The staff was super friendly, and the room was an awesome 5th story spread with a view, and a shower curtain (these are rare in most of the world we discovered.) 

It was in this neighborhood that we discovered one of the coolest shopping malls ever – Terminal 21.  The floors were arranged as though you were in different cities and were decorated as such, so we happily went from Tokyo to Paris to Rome to Istanbul to San Fransisco, etc.  Truly the best part was the holiday decorations though.  It was nearly December, and we were beginning to miss home a bit and all the traditional Christmas festivities.  Fortunately for me, Terminal 21 had a Starbucks, so I shelled out the usual ~$5 for a peppermint mocha (yes, 5% of the daily budget…but sometimes you need a treat.)  It was even more amazing than I had remembered.  We also treated ourselves to a sushi extravaganza, something we both had been missing.  

Getting into the holiday spirit in front of Terminal 21 mall

Christmas springs up in the mall =)

 A long awaited sushi extravaganza

Busy Sukhumvit evening with Matt in the foreground

Matt writing cards in the iCheck lobby

And so, we spent the last 2 days in Bangkok soaking up the holiday spirit by wandering through the fantastically decorated malls, buying little Christmas wreaths for our backpacks and writing a few Thai Christmas cards to send back home.  We also made sure to avail ourselves to whatever comfort goods were available – wine and cheese from the fancy supermarket, a night spent watching TV in our room, etc.  

Heading to Myanmar!  We'll be back, Bangkok!

We were about to fly to Myanmar, a country about which there were many, many conflicting accounts from what we had both heard and read.  We found a map and a phrasebook, ensured that all important emails had been sent, and squeezed in a skype session with the 'rents.  We were told that power was often sketchy in Myanmar, and that we may or may not have to pay for everything in US dollars.  The most up to date info available on the country was from current traveler's blogs, so we would by flying by the seat of our pants mostly. 

Bangkok had been amazing, and we knew we would be back.  But our next great adventure lay before us, and we couldn't wait to get our feet onto the soil of this mysterious land they now called Myanmar!

Check out the photos below for a more complete Bangkok experience -- there were too many to choose from!  =)