Bangkok!

Can I just say how much I like this place?!  Bangkok grew up around the Chao Phraya River and the river still plays a vital role in terms of industry and transportation.  I made my way to the historical center of the city by hopping on one of the frequent river taxis that run up, down and across the river.  The river is quite wide and in the morning runs fast with islands of water hyacinth.

Novelty boat used to ferry passengers between fancy hotels.

Fifteen minutes after boarding (and after having paid  my .50 cent fare), I hopped off at the pier closest to Wat Po.  Wat Po is the home of the Reclining Buddha.  Of all of the Buddha images I've seen, he is my favorite.  At almost 50 yards long and 50 feet high, the golden image is simply overpowering.  The details of his  feet were similarly wonderful as the individual toes and soles are inlaid with intricate mother of pearl designs.

The temple grounds are full of buildings each of which is covered by intricate gilded carvings and brilliant colored tiles.  These buildings are almost indescribably ornate.  The sites are clearly venerated in ways that are difficult to fathom.  Although all of the buildings are exposed both inside and outside to Bangkok's pollution, none of the buildings show evidence of such exposure.  Each is absolutely pristine.

Next was a hop on the ferry to the other side of the river to visit Wat Aran or the Temple of Dawn.  It received this name after King Tuskin, Bangkok's founder, wanted to signal optimism at the new kingdom being established in Bangkok after the old capital, Ayutthaya, was destroyed by the invading Burmese 1767.

This temple is covered with stone carvings, plaster and painted ceramic tiles, many of which were donated by the King's subjects when the temple was being enlarged to its present size.

 It's a very steep climb to the central "prang" but the views of Bangkok are inspiring from on top.

After picking up a British med student who was traveling my route, we walked to Wat Traimit, which houses the Golden Buddha.  Unlike other golden statues found everywhere, in this case, we are talking about the real deal.  The 10 foot tall image weighs over 5 tons and is believed to have been cast of solid gold. 

At one point it was covered in plaster, possibly to hide it from the invading Burmese.  The plaster was broken accidentally during a move in 1957 and the Golden Buddha was discovered safely inside.  

Day two in Bangkok started with a run in Lumphini Park.  I love visiting community parks because I think they are places you can go to actually see locals living their lives.  As I hoped, it was full of runners and other fitness types enjoying the hot, humid morning.  I also saw several large lizards (4 feet in length) which were fascinating and a little creepy from so close.  To my surprise at 8:00 a.m. everyone stopped in their tracks while the national anthem was played on loud speakers.  I later learned that this happens at 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. everyday.  This is one place that loves both king and country. 

The day was sweltering which made the visit to Wat Phra Kaew (home of the Emerald Buddha) and the Grand Palace a bit of an endurance contest.  Getting into the temple can prove challenging.  First you have to make it past a slew of "tourist guides" and tuk-tuk (tri-wheeled taxis) drivers directing you away from the site by telling you it's closed  so that they can take you on a tour of town with stops at all of the tailors and jewelery outlets.


Shifty tuk-tuk driver hauling me to a tailor shop.  He eventually left me behind
when he realized I really wasn't going to buy anything from his buddies.

If you make it to the entrance, you will next be faced with the temple fashion police who make certain that men and women are dressed modestly (no shorts or skirts and no shoulders showing).  Rent sarongs and loose pants are available if you don't pass muster.  Finally, you should be allowed to enter the grounds. 
Wat Phra Kaew is highly revered by the Thai people.  The emerald (actually, jade) Buddha was made in northern Thailand (or possibly) Laos in the 1500s and was later stolen/retaken by the Thais and installed in a temple in Chiang Mai before being moved to Bangkok.  Apparently, this is still a sore subject between the two countries.  The gold thrown is possibly more impressive than the rather small and distant Buddha which sits atop it.  Photography is not allowed within the building so you'll have to check the Internet for photos.  The grounds surrounding the temple contain many other ornate buildings and structures, including a model of Angkor Wat.

The site also includes the Grand Palace, which would not have been disappointing except when compared to the other sites around.  By comparison, it appears somewhat ordinary, at least for Grand Palace standards.  Coupled with the fact that the buildings are closed to the public, it got a rather quick pass by.

That night I did what I had to do while in Bangkok ... saw Hangover II.  Given that the movie takes place in Bangkok, I really had no choice.  Immediately prior to the start of the movie, the theatre showed a montage about the King's life, accompanied by a lush soundtrack, rich chorus and dramatic climax throughout which everyone remained standing.  (Did I mention that the Thais love their King.)  The movie (crude and funny) focuses on the seedy elements of Bangkok that seem to fill peoples imaginations.  The audience which was comprised of both Thais and foreigners seemed to love being in on the joke.  Perhaps you get what you are looking for in Bangkok, but I really haven't seen much of this highly-negative element in the city.  Yes there are dirty alleys filled with bars and obvious prostitution, but this seems to be limited to very small areas.  Those areas actually looked an awful lot like New Orleans and are easily avoidable if you chose to.

Soi (Street) Cowboy  in Bangkok

So, I hate to ruin its otherwise sordid reputation, but in my view Bangkok just ain't as bad as the world would like to think.

Day three was a business day which involved finding the train station to get a schedule, sending a package at the local post office and getting down and dirty by riding through one of the canals, before ending with a final jog in the park.  I briefly joined in on one of the open aerobics classes being taught in the park which had hundreds of participants.  I can report that I am as awful at aerobics in Thailand as I ever was in the United States.

Water taxis on smaller and very polluted canals.  Riders raise the blue tarps
on the sides of the boat to avoid being splashed with the sludgy water.

I had mixed feelings about leaving Bangkok because it was starting to feel comfortable, but this trip is not about comfort, it's about endurance (with some enjoyment scattered about) so its off to the north.