First Hour in Krung Thep

The fragrance of fried garlic, pork and raw fish, mix with the smell of the canal; and a whiff of sewer floats in the air. It is early morning, but the industrial Thai are already setting up market along the narrow alley, across the canal from our hotel.
 
We cross the bridge and and walk through the shaded alley, taking in the aroma. Opulent vegetation creeps over the walls and oozes through the fences. Cats roam through their own ground-level labyrinth. At a table eating breakfast sits a Buddhist monk dressed in orange robes. A crew of five in yellow shirts float the canal on a small boat and use a long pole with a net on the end to fish trash from the water.
 

We come up the stairs from the canal and find a cacophony of motorist traffic, with horns and spewing exhaust. The buildings are dingy with soot. Electrical wires seem to stretch everywhere.
 
We pass many stalls already selling food. One sells freshly-squeezed orange juice and another fresh fruit. We only have large bills and end up buying a drink at the 7-11.
 
Even at this morning hour, Khao San Road is full of people. We quickly learn the aggressiveness of the Thai. Every twenty feet we have men look at us and ask, “Tuk-tuk?” I shake hands with three swarthy individuals, all of them seeking my business. One of the drivers asks my name, and then Jenelle's. She says, “Sue.” He marches us for two blocks to the tourism office, where we sit down with a salesman who tries to sell an excursion package. We politely tell him that we don't wish to make a decision now. I'm sure the tuk-tuk driver gets a cut for anyone he can drag in.
 

Finally we make our escape back to the street and find that the heat is turning up. Abruptly, the food stalls end, and after passing over a small canal lined with trees and pink flowers, I pull out a map and we reorient our course. We pass temples of unknown names and homeless people lying on the sidewalk. A man sits on a plastic chair and reads the paper in front of a colorful wall of dragon graffiti. We see red buses that look thirty years old, with windows down and dripping with people. Two rats, the size of a shoe, crawl along the curb.
 
Needing to eat, we find a lone vendor who sells skewers of meat for 10-20 baht. The 10 baht skewers look like chunks of lung, and the 20, chicken. He, nor his wife, speak English, other than to say “ten” and “twenty,” and “chicken” and “rice.” He also sells something rolled in a banana leaf, which we wish to buy, but they don't understand and we leave it at that, only buying skewers of chicken and sticky rice in a bag.
 

We find a park with a bench where we can sit down and eat. The park is relatively quiet compared to the chaos of the city. Flowers bloom, birds play on the grass, and the trees look like gnarled lengths of yarn.
 
We use our fingers for the sticky rice, and wish we had brought hand-sanitizer. Mine comes with a pasty hot sauce that has a hint of curry, leaving my eyes watering. On our way out, we stop at another vendor and buy a bag of pineapple and melon. Everything here seems to come in bags. He can't speak English, and likes talking to himself.
 
As we walk toward the southern entrance of the sanctuary, a tuk-tuk driver looks at us, asks where we are going, and then says, “This way,” pointing north. So we turn around, but quickly encounter another driver who asks the same question, but points the other way! We ignore both and decide to follow our intuition. Five minutes later we find our destination—Wat Pho. ♠

Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand is a sprawling urban jungle of over nine million people. Located in southeast Asia, it is infused with Theravada Buddhism, aggressive street hawkers, miles of canals, and food vendors on nearly every alley in the city. Shanty houses lie in the same neighborhood as luxurious skyscrapers. Tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis flood the streets. Everyone seems to speak a little English, but no one seems to speak it fluently. In short, the Thai capital, also known as Krung Thep, is like no other city in the world.

The Chao Phraya River divides the city of Bangkok and is a major venue for transportation. Not only do tourists and locals use the river, but also large tugboats pulling cargo.

Boat taxis run up and down the river, making stops along the way. Some ferries, like this one, will simply take you to the other side.

The most important (and busiest) attraction in all of Thailand in the Grand Palace. Home to the Royal family since 1782, the Grand Palace was constructed just fifteen years after the former capital of Ayutthaya was destroyed by the Burmese. It is visited by thousands of tourists and is home to the Emerald Buddha.

In Thailand there is a strong alliance between the Royal Family and the Buddhist religion. The king, therefore, is greatly revered and his image can be found on many public buildings and currency.

Khao San Road is one of the most famous streets in Bangkok. It is popular for its cheap lodging and colorful night market. Here one can get a massage, tattoo, eat bugs, or Pad Thai. We went for the Pad Thai.

One of the most popular dishes in Bangkok is a bowl of beef noodle soup. Some street stands specialize only in noodle soup and you can buy a bowl for about 40 baht ($1.14).

Notice the bottled water in the picture? Bangkok is a blazing hot city, yet tap water is not potable. Bottled water is sold everywhere. So, stay hydrated!

In many respects, Bangkok is just like Disneyland. Case-in-point are the boat taxis that transport travelers up and down some of the main canals. A ride on one of these boats can cost as low as 7 baht. A cruise along the waters will make you forget that you are in a city full of skyscrapers, and instead, take you away to the jungle, where palm trees hang over the canals and shanty houses with clothes hanging to dry along the water's edge.

And then there are the tuk-tuks, the three-wheeled taxis that are ubiquitous in Bangkok. Once again, they feel like a ride at Disneyland. But beware! Everywhere you go, drivers will come up to you and ask: “tuk-tuk, tuk-tuk?” They are wily. Always negotiate a price before accepting a ride. And always be ready for an impromptu adventure.

For a less adventurous, yet more scenic mode of transportation, try Bangkok's BTS, or Skytrain, system. The BTS allows you to see the city from an elevated perspective, and lets you sit in air-conditioned ease while avoiding the gnarly traffic jams on the street. There are two lines, which don't allow for many options, but if your destination falls near a BTS line, I would definitely take it.

If the BTS doesn't meet your itinerary needs, maybe the MRT, or subway, will. Although there is only one line, it makes a long snaking path across the city.

The bus is another option in Bangkok. If you can master the transit maps, they can take you almost anywhere, and are very cheap. Some buses, like this red one, don't have air-conditioning.

When in Thailand, you must make time for a traditional Thai Massage. They will twist you, pull you, walk on you, dig their elbow in you, and make you cringe and almost cry, but when all is over, you will feel far better than when you arrived. Allow one to two hours. My one hour massage cost 250 Baht ($7.13), plus a tip.

The national sport of Thailand is Muay Thai boxing. As far as I know, there are two main venues in Bangkok, with fights three times a week. Admission can be steep, ranging from 1000 to 2000 baht per person. Beware of pushy hawkers trying to sell you the expensive seats. We didn't get to watch a fight on this trip, but came across this training ring while on a walk.

Yes, the toilets in Thailand are different than those in the States. There will be a variety in Bangkok, as you probably wont find some of the more “deplorable” ones that you may find elsewhere. You may encounter squat toilets, but most of them will be sit-down type. They ask you not to put toilet paper in the toilet as their plumbing system may not be able to handle it. Instead, use the hose and sprayer to clean yourself off; pat dry with toilet paper (if they have any), and you will be good to go!

Bangkok is a museum of holy Buddhist shrines and temples. Wat Pho, officially called Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn, dating back to the 17^th century, was a royal monastery while the Grand Palace was under construction. Replete with pagodas, ornate buildings, Buddhas, and Chinese stone statues, Wat Pho is the quintessential Thai temple.

The centerpiece of Wat Pho is the Reclining Buddha. This forty-six meter icon is revered by many who believe that worshiping the image will bring them peace and happiness.

Across the city on the fringes of Chinatown, the temple of Wat Traimit houses the largest golden Buddha in the world.

When you visit a Thai temple, it will be required of you to dress modestly (no shoulders or knees showing), and when entering the holiest shrines of the Buddha, you must remove your shoes.

During your visit, you will undoubtedly happen upon monks dressed in their orange robes. I didn't learn much about them during my visit, but they are certainly a curiosity.

Buddhists don't have a monopoly on religion in Bangkok. You will find Muslims also, and they worship in mosques such as this one. The Ton Son Mosque was originally built around 1688 AD, but has since been renovated with modern materials.

Throughout Bangkok (as well as Thailand), you will find spirit houses in front of many of the properties. A spirit house is designed as a place for spirits to dwell that could cause problems for the property owners, especially since their old home was disturbed by construction on the property. It is usually in the shape of a house or temple, and offerings such as flowers or food are often left.

Bangkok is world renowned for its markets. Klong Toey is a fresh produce market that is best enjoyed in the morning. Walking through this market you will find Thai chili peppers, tamarind, long beans, morning glory, pulsating fish, mounds of raw meat, huge balls of curry, and any other ingredients that you would find in Thai cooking.

Much different is the Pak Klong Talad flower market, the largest of its kind in Bangkok. We visited here in the evening, after dark, but they say the best time to come is after midnight, around three in the morning when the freshest floral arrangements are being set out. Walking along Pak Klong Talad is a sensory pleasure, with pleasant aromas swimming the air, and a vibrant array to please the eye.

Next door is the Saphan Phut Night Bazaar, near Memorial Bridge, and along the flank of the Chao Phraya River. The later in the night you come, the more active the market becomes. They sell t-shirts, jeans, DVD's, and about anything else a teenager might want. It is here that I bought a jersey of my favorite soccer team, Barcelona, for just a fraction of what I would have paid in Spain.

On the weekend (and usually located an hour or two outside the city) are the floating markets. A combination of boats selling produce, and stalls on terra firma selling meals, a floating market is the perfect place to experience a new variety of food and setting. Fish is plentiful, and a common meal will include the entire fish with a plate of rice and a spicy dipping sauce.

It was here that I bought my first bag of coconut water. Yes, they sell it in a bag with an insterted straw.

The biggest market in Bangkok is the Chatuchak weekend market. Composed of over 8,000 stalls, Chatuchak is almost too big to take in. Everything is sold here from art to clothing to food to bugs (the edible kind).

If a crowded street market in the balmy air of Bangkok doesn't sound appealing, how about one of its many air-conditioned malls? We chose to relax at CentralWorld, sipping on fruit shakes while sitting in cushy chairs. CentralWorld is several stories high, and is the largest mall in Bangkok, with over 500 stores and 100 restaurants.

Around the corner from CentralWorld is Siam Plaza, not a true plaza in the conventional sense of the word, but a cluster of shops and restaurants. It is also a central hub of traffic, with the BTS rail line directly above the street, and is extremely busy with pedestrians.

Perhaps because of the abundance of street stalls, the common grocery store isn't as common in Thailand as it is in the States. The 7-Eleven store is the closest and most convenient substitute we found. Not only is it very air conditioned, but it also sells some of those small knick-knacks that you may not find anywhere else: finger nail clippers, band-aids, sim cards, and toothpaste. We also enjoyed the pre-packaged, yet unique pastries such as bread with pandan cream spread on top. 7-Eleven is found in nearly every neighborhood in Bangkok.

If you want to leave the chaos without leaving the city, try a visit to Lumphini Park, Bangkok's own version of Central Park in New York City. Here you will find lots of grass, as well as ponds, and a panoramic view of the high-rise skyline. There are peddle boats you can rent for a small price that will allow you a romantic cruise on the lake. You will likely see a monitor lizard or two.

Finally, no trip to Bangkok would be complete without a trip to Chinatown, perhaps the largest in the entire world. The principal street is Yarowat Road, with its gold shops, street stalls, and lively night life. All the streets radiating from Yarowat are equally alive, some in alleyways so narrow that wandering through the overflowing merchandise can be a tricky ordeal.

Don't be surprised if you come across quivering fish heads, the smell of ancient Asian herbs, or a Chinese Buddhist temple.

 Whenever you're in Bangkok, the time will come every evening when the large equatorial sun dips low on the horizon of haze and smog, and after a glorious sky of amber-painted colors, the night will come and take the edge from the heat. The lights will turn on from the skyscrapers, the street stalls, the tuk-tuks, the barges on the river, and a new chapter will begin on your visit to Bangkok. ♠