Bangkok Highlights February 12-16

Many would consider going to Thailand a trip of a lifetime. I was so privileged and blessed to grow up here and to have been able to return many times. But even with great familiarity it was interesting and fun to have some new experiences as we played tour guide for Andrea’s parents, Brian and Bobbi, as well as to see some familiar sights through their eyes.
Here are a few highlights.

Getting to the Grand Palace early enough to beat the initial crowds. Seeing and hearing Brian and Bobbi be in awe of the beauty and exquisite artistry there somehow made me see the magnificence of it again for the first time.

Riding a Tuk-Tuk with 6’4” Brian and seeing the wide grin on his face, he almost squealed like a school boy. Great fun!

Renting a long tail boat, going up the mighty Chao Phraya river and then back into the canals that still exist almost to the point where at some points the canal was just a little wider than our boat. These canals used to crisscross Bangkok (thus the name Venice of the East). It is nice to see that some are still very much in existence. It was fascinating to see real life along the canals and even though we were still very much in Bangkok, to soon find ourselves navigating through lush green orchards and country side. Sadly due to the floods this past year, many of the fruit trees in some of the orchards have died.

The long tail boat dropped us off at one of Bangkok’s most recognized landmarks, Wat Arun, Temple of Dawn. In all my years here, I had never been and it is really worth seeing up close – and climbing (as we did!) Afterward we crossed the river and found our way to the Deck at Arun Residence (a very cool boutique hotel across from Wat Arun), had a delicious dinner, watched the sunset and Wat Arun lit up for the night.











Having a Golden themed day as we went to Golden Mount as well as Vimanmek Royal Mansion which is the worlds larges golden teak building (three stories) constructed entirely without any nails. It is a beautiful building and reminded me (on a much much grander scale) of some of the old buildings/homes we used to stay in at Huahin many years ago.


(Photo on left: Golden Mount, Photo on the right: Vimanmek Mansion)











Another fabulous former residence we visited and again somewhere I had never been was Jim Thompson’s House which still stands as one of the best preserved traditional Thai houses in Thailand and is well worth going to. It is an oasis of calm and tranquility surrounded by the busyness of Bangkok. Jim Thompson was an entrepreneurial American who revived the art of Thai silk weaving. He has always intrigued many people as he mysteriously disappeared and was never found while staying in the Cameron Highlands (where I attended elementary school.) When we were in Malaysia three years ago, I literally stumbled upon the cottage he was staying. Strangely, it was empty, abandoned and unlocked - the mystery still lingers.

If I could live in either Vimanmek or Jim Thompson’s house (or just a room in one of them) I would be a pretty happy camper!

Another literal HIGHlight was having dinner up the Baiyoke Tower where we had gone with Brad in January. Again, we were the recipients of spectacular scenery and food.
Duncan