Nov 22
We flew out of Sydney for our first stop, a couple of days in Bangkok. Just to break the journey. The flight was somewhat uncomfortable on an old 747, but it was a daylight flight so no problems. We were met as arranged by a private transfer. We were very thankful we had made this arrangement. Bangkok is famous for its traffic. A reputation well earned. We were very happy to be sitting comfortably in the car as our driver negotiated the afternoon peak to get us to our hotel.
Nov 23
Our tour today took us across the city to the Grand Palace of the Royal Family of Thailand. There were only three of us on the tour, which proved to be very good. The Grand Palace is the most visited sight in Bangkok and today was evidence of that. Huge numbers of tour buses off-loaded Chinese and others, in their hoards. On the whole we were able to dodge around them, but it becomes irritating sharing the space with others who have no respect for the place they are visiting. They are loud and totally disregard anyone else around them.
Our guide, Tum Tum was really funny and sweet. She explained
with enthusiasm the history of the Royal Family. So much information to take
in. The Palace is really beautiful and the Thai people are rightly proud of it.
 |
| Street where our hotel located |
 |
| Chinatown |
 |
| Interested to learn that Thailand laid claim to Angkor Wat, but the claim was dismissed |
Our plan for the afternoon changed. We were so tired from
our morning out that we stayed in our hotel – how boring! We did manage to
catch up on some sleep though. Having arrived late yesterday and adjusting to
the time difference (4 hours) and getting up early for our tour, we realised
how tired we were.
Later, we went out (it was cooler too) and took public
transport to Chinatown. This was an experience in itself! We finally got the
hang of how the system worked and got out there using the government owned Skytrain
and the privately owned Metro. We discovered to our cost, that the two systems,
although sort of integrated, use different payment systems and, despite looking
online at the Bangkok Transit website and using their trip planner, it became
apparent that the Metro had been extended and we should have bought a token to
travel two more stops!
The whole evening experience was a laugh and we are glad we tried
to achieve what we set out to do. Sadly, we did not find the street food we
were expecting in Chinatown. Just loads of street stalls selling junk! Very
puzzled, but obviously many people were there buying said junk.
We returned to the Metro and back to our local station. We
ended up having an Indian meal as it was too late in the evening to venture
further afield for a Thai restaurant I had in mind to try.
Altogether an interesting day out.
Nov 24
 |
| Fixing the wires, Thai style |
 |
| Bangkok Skytrain |
After an easy start to the day, we headed off, once again,
for the Sky Train. This time we were heading to a well known shopping mall. MBK
is certainly a very large centre. It was not quite what we expected. Though
truth be known we probably didn’t really know what to expect!
We targeted some stores and spent a good two hours browsing
the eight levels. There was a Starbucks listed on one level so we headed there
for a break for coffee before returning to one shoe store. I had expected to be
able to buy some good sneakers, but to no avail, but I did find some good
sandals.
As we always have a good breakfast and only had a light
snack during the day, we were ready for our dinner. This was much later than
anticipated. We had a dinner cruise on the river booked. Our transport picked
us up promptly and we headed off through the still congested streets of Bangkok
to where the river cruises depart.
 |
| A more traditional boat |
 |
| As with all waterfronts the river frontage was busy |
 |
| A more fancy 'party boat' |
 |
| High end shops across the river |
 |
| Traditional Thai dancer |
 |
| The Grand Palace by night |
 |
| Passing the Grand Palace |
 |
| Beautiful lights on river bridges |
 |
| Temple of Dawn |
 |
| Musical fountains |
It was a lovely evening. We saw the Grand Palace by night as
well as other sights along the river. Food was plentiful and good and so was
the entertainment. A great way to end our short stay in Bangkok.
Comments
Post a Comment