Always on the move! That’s my lasting impression of Bangkok.. Swirling energy and the noise of people heading somewhere. One neighbourhood rolls right into another and everything intermingles old-new modern-ancient, foreign-national, rich-poor. And everywhere are little shrines carefully tended by a devout servant, a secretary from an office inside or a community member so all can stop for a moment to
toss a prayer to Buddha. Most little alleys are crowded with tiny clothing (yes both the clothes and the store!) and consumer shops, and hundreds of food stalls (the most unusual street eats being spiced insects which, oddly enough, I wasn’t even curious to sample) in the lee of modern high rise office towers and hotels. And people everywhere. I loved to walk the streets to know day to day life in Bangkok and watch how the scurry happens. In this sprawling city you can publicly travel in many, many ways - modern skytrain and subway, limos, bright pink taxis-always ask for the meter to be turned on, city buses, neighbourhood vans, local buses, tuk tuks from another era (lots of fun but hard to look about from within), on the back of motorcycles (my favorite being the beautiful coiffed women in skirts riding side saddle as passengers with high heels swinging in the breeze), on express boats, long boats, bus boats… I had been acclimatized to seeing a family of 5 on quads in Mexico so did not have an apoplectic fit when I saw toddlers and infants balanced in their father’s arms on the front of a motorcycle. Going….
Friends of friends graciously ensured I was informed and guided and very happily shared their favorite, fabulous restaurants. Whether fine dining or in the local neighbourhood food was excellent and very inexpensive. I had to work really hard and feel really underdressed to find a lunch meal that touched $10. In fact some of the most delicious food two people could stuff themselves with rang in a total of $8. No one, not even the animals need to go hungry here. I am ruined for life if I ever think I will eat Thai food that is as amazing as it is here. Pad Thai to die for. I salivate even remembering it.
Tourist day was temple day. I cruised up the river on the tourist express boat to the site of the most famous temples – Wat Pho, Arun and Phra Keuw. The temples drew a blend of curious tourists stumbling about amidst devout Buddhists in prayer. The air was scented with incense and jasmine. The Grand Palace
was closed when I arrived since one of the crown princes was in prayer. Nice to have a national monument become your sacred temple for your personal use methinks – I kept trying to figure out how to get all the milling people to go away so I could mediate under the glow of the golden Buddhas undisturbed. An enterprising tuk tuk driver offered to ferry me about to see other temples and sites until it re-opened. He could not be dissuaded from a stop to nudge me into a beautiful jewellery store – they give free gas to drivers who bring tourists!
Visiting heads of state stay at the Grand Palace more than Thai royalty but it is a palace nonetheless. At the moment the king is reported to be quite ill in hospital with rumours of being poisoned by the queen floating about. Shakespeare is timeless and some things never change. As I walked through the glitter and the gold and the huge vaulted glorious buildings I was reminded of the Vatican and its collections (Holy Redeemer has a gigantic golden Jesus floating over the altar) and wondering how humans could convince themselves this has anything to do with God.
And so I acclimatized… later today I am on a plane to Myanmar, to my next adventure. I met some very beautiful Burmese people when I was taken to a Karen refugee education centre. A few amazing people volunteer their time and talent and treasure to offer basic English Thai and IT classes to this small community resettling in Bangkok. And so it was that the greatest thing moving was my heart!
