"BEING" in BANGKOK

   For thinking we’d just sort of ease into sightseeing on this first day in Bangkok we sure saw a lot!   After a long couple of flights we arrived in Bangkok around 2AM. It was a very short night and by breakfast we were already meeting the other members of our tour group and heading out to see the Pakklong Talad floral market. And that was only the beginning of what turned into a very busy day!

The next stop was the Temple of the Reclining Buddha which houses not only a mammoth sized Buddha, but also several hundred other Buddhas that date back various years and by years I mean hundreds and hundreds – mayby thousands - of years.  Lots of glitter in Bangkok, but all that glitters is not gold. Some is just gold paint and some gold leaf, but I believe there’s one large Buddha that is made of pure gold and we’ll see it tomorrow.

After being Buddha-saturated in the morning we broke for lunch and had our first introduction to true Thai food. FIRE--BREATHING – HOT is what comes to mind, but also it is also quite refreshing – lots of fresh veggies and more steamed stuff than fried. We started with a Pho type of soup. It was my own fault that I got carried away with the hot peppers. Note to self: Take it easy with the sauces or you’re going to burn a whole right through your belly!  J 

Next we visited Wat Arun (a temple) where the priest gave me a special blessing because my birthday is tomorrow. Of course I couldn’t understand a word he said as he shook a bamboo brush full of water over my head, but I couldn’t help but reflect on how important water is in so many different religious ceremonies, in so many different cultures. After he chanted some prayers and doused me with water he dropped a sweet little pink hand woven bracelet into my hands. The tour guide had to show me how to hold my hands open to accept the gift because evidently Buddhist priests can’t touch women. I need to read up on what that’s all about. (Note: Our tour guide, YA says it's becuase men are fire and women are gasoline and you know what happens when they come together.)

   In the afternoon we took a ride on a Long Tail Speed Boat down the river for some glimpses into the life of everyday people living on the river in Bangkok. The most interesting part of the longboat was its motor. It’s actually a truck engine (with a radiator in front and transmission behind it) with a long shaft like a drive line – about 12 feet long with a propeller on the end of it. While it’s true that Bangkok is a large, metropolitan city, it also has an entire culture of life that lives and works by the river. We saw high rise business office and hotels. We saw dilapidated houses that look ready to fall into the river. We saw everything in between.   Along the way we stopped at a river museum: The Royal Longboat Museum where the boats used in presidential processions every zodiac cycle are housed.  Pretty impressive carved and gilt contraptions!  

   Last on the list for our busy first day was the Temple of Dawn which is just as pretty as it sounds like it would be.  It was the original capital of Thailand before one of the kings (name alludes me) moved it across the river to where it is currently.  It’s located on bank of the Chao Phraya River. Named after Aruna, the Indian God of Dawn, the Wat Arun is considered one of the most well known of Thailand's many landmarks. The temple is so named because the first light of the morning reflects off the surface of the temple with pearly iridescence.

My mind is a tad bit clouded this evening. I’m jag-lagged and sleep deprived, but I’ve got a huge smile on my face.  Not certain how much time I’ll have for blogging along the way of this journey, but I sure hope to post a few pictures.