Bangkok, Thailand

Just before Thanksgiving I was able to join a group of friends that were going to Bangkok for a long weekend.  Rob went to Bangkok 15 years ago and had no real desire in going back, especially with the kids, so this was an opportunity to go travel at my own pace.  It was such a joy to just pack one bag and have my own time on the airplane! 

Other than visiting the temples and grand palace, Bangkok is known for its open markets of all kinds.  Here are a few pictures I took.

A scene from the Chatuchak weekend market at night.  5,000 stalls covering 35 acres and 200,000 to 300,000 visitors a day.  Selling everything from handicrafts to live animals.  The largest in Thailand.  We spent about an hour and a half here, which was plenty for me, and I was able to get some great deals on pottery, toy elephants and some spa oils.  Such a great relief from the costs in Singapore.

 A lady selling food from her "boat kitchen" at the Taling Chan floating market near town.  A floating market is where the people and the river come together for commerce and communication.  This lady sells food from her boat.  Several boat vendors jostle for position along side the canal for the attention of buyers.  The market wasn't very far from the center of town but it took us over an hour to get there because of the surface road traffic.  Taking the sky train or subway in Bangkok is the other way to get around and it's much quicker.  We learned that after a day.

The opulent Grand Palace, home of the jade Buddha.

This is a view of Wat Arun, the temple of dawn in Khmer-style.  The full name of the temple is Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahawihan.  Thank goodness they abbreviated the name.  I can't imagine trying to say this to a taxi driver!

The other temple we went to was Wat Po in Thai-style similar to the Grand Palace.  This temple is famous for it's gigantic reclining Buddha.  This Wat is also the birthplace of traditional Thai massage.  I did not get any pictures because my camera battery died, but luckily my friends have some to share.  I stole these pictures off of the internet.  What fascinated me, other than the size of this Buddha, was the mother of pearl inlay-ed in the feet.  Fantastically detailed and precious.