Started with a great breakfast on our balcony overlooking Bangkok.
We had to set aside one day to do the "touristy" bits of Bangkok, which included visiting the Grand Palace and Reclining Buddha, both of which are incredibly important to thai heritage and culture. Getting to the Grand Palace is no easy task. We took the BTS skytrain to the river. Then we got on a riverboat ferry (don't buy tickets at the actual ticket window because they cost 150b, but rather walk around the window and buy them from the peddler on the pier for just 40b-- I think this would be Thailand's equivalent of "scalped tickets") After getting off the ferry, walk another 15 minutes or so to the Palace grounds. All the while, make sure not to get scammed by the tuk tuk drivers (they'll offer to take you to the Palace but bring you to a gem store and suit maker first) or the peddlers (they say the Palace is closed for this or that holiday but for a special fee they can get you inside). Keeping our heads down and our wits about us we followed the white walls around until we made it to the Palace entrance. Feeling incredibly proud of ourselves because we had not been duped, we started to head inside. Minutes later we were stopped by guards and told our clothing was not acceptable. This was impossible-- I had entered palaces and temples before. I wasn't a normal tourist. I lived here. I knew the rules. Our knees and shoulders had to be covered. Check. Check. No. This was the King's Grand Palace. Shoulders weren't good enough. Knees weren't good enough. Full legs had to be covered and shawls were unacceptable as arm coverings. Fail. Looking like total tourists, tails between our legs, we joined the obnoxiously long clothing rental line. Mom, Candace and I came out with oversized blouses while dad was wearing a pair of pants big enough to fit all four of us. Check out the photos below for the cutest all american family you've ever seen.
The ornate details and decor of the Palace and its grounds were beautiful, however wandering in the scalding heat in our borrowed clothing sans shoes was less than desireable. After spending less time than the King would have appreciated, we were ready to head out. However, we quickly found that the grounds layout designer must have been in cahoots with the IKEA layout designer- there weren't any exits, only paths leading through. We were going to have to walk all 2 million square feet of the grounds before bowing out. Touche King Rama IX, touche.
During a few million foot walk, you learn a thing or two. Here are a few of the things we learned about the Grand Palace:
-official residence of the Kings of Siam (and now Thailand) since 1782
-the grounds are divided into many quarters, including: the temple of the emerald buddha, the outer court, the middle court, the inner court and the gardens
-the King, Rama IX, does not currently live in the palace, but official events are still held here
After finishing our 2 million square foot walk and returning our borrowed clothing, we were on to the next tourist attraction: Wat Pho, aka The Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Thank goodness for us, Buddha isn't nearly as strict as the King so we were allowed to enter the complex wearing our own clothing (minus our shoes of course!) The reclining buddha is fascinating because it's just that: over 150 feet of golden encased buddha in a reclining position. As you circle the buddha, you'll notice 108 bronze donation bowls, symbolic of the 108 positive actions that helped lead buddha to perfection. It's said that making the bowls ring (by adding money to them) brings one good luck and helps wishes come true.
After a long day of walking we made our way back to the ferry, which dropped us at the BTS just in time for rush hour- there's nothing like being sardined between multiple thais after a long day in the Bangkok heat.
But we weren't done yet. No siree. No time for jet lag here. This was already our second day in Bangkok. We needed to pack in as much as humanly possible because we only had eight days left. So we headed to dinner with my Thai Teacher, June and my Nanny, P'Nun. June and P'Nun advised us regarding what to order. We had a thai family style meal, complete with durian ice cream and sticky rice for dessert. How did we know when to ask for the check bin ka? Simple. When Stew fell asleep at the table.
But our night was just beginning-- Wednesday nights meant free flow champagne at Ku De Ta. My girlfriends were already there. Going wasn't even a question. Candace's response to my invitation- a look that could kill and a slammed bedroom door. Guess we'd have to save free bubbly for another time.
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