Tuesday, February 10, 2009

a whirlwind of touring Bangkok

Well, we just finished our last day of touring Bangkok and Russ showed me how to do a post by myself on this thing.....(Dave....you should have showed me this before I left....you should know I am illiterate)....

On a very hot day we started with a typical Thai breakfast of fried rice with pork and a fried egg on top...wonderful! We then set off on the sky train ...like a subway only above the street level.... took the sky train all the way to the River Chai Praya and then caught the boat ...kinda like a bus on water....up river. (cost of water bus service about 30 cents) Our first top Wat Arun an ancient temple probably 200 years old along the river bank . We had to cross the river, so we got another boat (cost 9 cents). This temple is of plaster/cement with glass and ceramic pieces all the way up a 200 foot tall prang (tower). You can climb very very steep steps ...almost like ladder steps...to a lookout way up...really cool view of the area....

We stopped for some shopping and we all bought some intricate leatherwork done on water buffalo hides...they are really cool!!!!

Crossed back over the river too see the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This buddha is probably 50 feet in height and is in a lying position. it is gilt with pure gold. It is an amazing structure.

Next stop (no time for resting) was the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. Each of the 9 kings of the modern era (last 200 + years) has added structures to this temple/palace area. The central feature is a large golden chedi or tower that has a relic of Buddha inside. On the grounds is also the very famous emerald buddha ( a very old buddha image), greatly revered....when you see our pictures of this site you will be amazed and the variety and beauty of the many temples and structures here.

Stopped for lunch at a street market and had rice with an assortment of dried shrimp, vegetables, cooked pork , etc. along with great chili sauce and peppers....all quenched with Thai Coffee --- Iced coffee with milk and sugar....what a great treet on a 94 degree day.

Then bartered with a tuk tuk driver to take us to the Teak Palace...A tuk tuk is a three wheeled vehicle found all over southeast asia resembling a three wheeled golf cart with a back seat....These things zip in and out of traffic at high speeds....kind of dangerous but fun. The driver was convinced that Russ was Thai...and then I used my Thai to tell him that Judy and Russ were both my children.....He did believe Russ was my son, but he knew I was pulling his leg regarding Judy....

We visited the Teak Mansion all out of teak wood built by Rama 5 (the fifth king of Thailand modern era) in the 1800s. This beautiful house was only used for a few years and then closed for over 80 years and used as a warehouse until it was restored and opened as a historical site.

Can you believe that is all we did today!!!
Tonight Russ and I go back to the tailor for our first fitting of our new suits and shirts that are being hand made for us .....Lee Ann....don't get nervous...it is not school money we are using for our new suits!!!! We aare also going shopping tonight at the Big C....kind of like a Target with a food store and about a dozen restaurants included....pretty cool....we will eat there tonight...will let you know what later.

You wont hear from us for a few days as we catch a train to Suwankhalok...a city in NorthCentral Thailand in the Sukhothai Province. This is the area we will spend the next several weeks.

Sawasdee Krub, kun peuen (Good bye my friends)

Fred

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