An entry in the TFS Travel Journal
Now that’s what we call a good night’s sleep! We breakfasted indoors, figuring we had plenty of time to be outside later today. Milton had a Thai omelette which was pretty bland, but Wendy had the dim sum, which was top notch!
We then met Tata, our guide for this morning’s city tour. She was in her 30s and bore quite a resemblance to Linda Hunt. We boarded a motorized long boat (which she claimed are now also called James Bond boats since their prominence in The Man With The Golden Gun, which was partly filmed here). They are indeed quite long and narrow, with big uncovered engines in the back attached to long propellor shafts. We cruised along the Chao Phraya river, which was busy with other long boats, taxis, barges, sightseeing yachts, and moored houseboats.
The city is fascinating with its mix of new large office towers, hotels and big apartment buildings (of which there are a lot of all three, including the tallest - a 94 story hotel which is nearing completion) amidst still plentiful lower-class looking houses and many traditional and ornate Thai temples (Wats). First stop was Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), a several-hundred year old structure with several pagodas surrounding the main one which is in the Cambodian style (rounded tiered top) and is 67 meters high. As with so many religious monuments around the world, it was remarkable in its detail and beauty. One can’t go inside, but the outside is decorated with Buddhist and Thai symbols and covered with colorful old broken Chinese porcelain.
We then motored along various klongs (canals) upon which the city sits, seeing a variety of housing (modern homes, big rounded wooden houseboats, and many old dilapidated structures) and several temples, of which there are over 400 in Bangkok. We finished at the elephant pier, so called since that’s where the royal elephants would come from the Grand Palace to bath and drink in the river. We walked the few hot and humid blocks to the Grand Palace, where no bare arms or shorts are allowed; consequently, they rent loose pants and shirts at a stand right inside the main entrance.
Certainly one of the more amazing places we’ve ever seen! Basically, it’s the Vatican City of Thai Buddhism. A walled complex of temples, courts, and halls, all ornately and elaborately decorated - with painted tiles or gem-colored glass pieces or bits of Chinese porcelain or, in one case, solid gold. Most of the structures are guarded by sculptures, some quite large (over 6 meters) some small, of hybrid animal creatures (the body of a lion, the head of a monkey; various serpents) to ward off evil demons. We also saw the Emerald Buddha, a pure jade buddha high atop a grand tiered stand, whose gold costume is changed by the King himself depending on the season. Also wonderful were the extensive murals lining the outside of several buildings, which were rich in color and detail, telling stories of Thai history and myth.
We learned much about all the Kings (the current is Rama IX) and that the movie “The King and I” is banned here since it shows that King (Rama IV) so unfavorably! Tata (who saw the movie once) said that the story is mostly true, but that the real King was much more modest and polite and not at all so boorish . The country changed its name from Siam (”golden country”) to Thailand (”Land of the Free”) after power passed from the monarchy to a democratically elected parliament in 1932. It is also the only SEAsian country never to have been a colony.
We then took a brief driving tour of the city, stopping at “the best place” to buy Thai gemstones, jewelry and silk. We resisted the hard sell, and finished up at the Regent Hotel where we lunched in the Spice Market, their restaurant which is artfully decorated with all varieties of Thai spices and containers adorning the walls. Wow, this meal was even better than last night! First a bird’s nest of sweet crispy noodles with bean curd, then two delicious soups - lemongrass w/shrimp and spicy coconut milk w/chicken and mushrooms; entrees were roast duck in honey sauce and a spicy shrimp paste into which we dipped a variety of vegetables, and a perfect pad thai. (there was also a box of kleenix on each table since the food can be so spicy) We also enjoyed a Sing-ha and Wendy’s omnipresent coconut juice. Dessert was delicious: thick pumpkin slices around some custard, topped with coconut ice cream.
We then taxied over to the Jim Thompson house. He was an American who moved here after WWII, revitalized the local cottage industry of silk weaving into a world-class business, and built a wonderful large, traditional Thai teak house that was turned into a museum after his mysterious (and still unexplained) disappearance in Malaysia in 1967. We took the guided tour and learned much about Mr. Jim Thompson. We were pretty drained by then, so we taxied back to our hotel where we rested before our much-anticipated Thai massages in their spa.
Whew, a bit different from good, old Swedish style; basically a blend of shiatsu and rolfing. We changed into outfits that looked like we were ready for a day harvesting the rice paddies or for Thai prison, then lay on mattresses on the floor. We were then pushed, pulled, prodded, palpated and stretched for 90 minutes, with no muscle, tendon or internal organ left unscathed. Though not exactly relaxing, it was (probably) quite therapeutic.
We then languidly slogged back to the room where we relaxed for the evening.