Bangkok Tour - Stop 3

This 16th century temple is the oldest temple in Bangkok, and houses a massive reclining Buddha. The temple also has a row of 108 bronze bowls along the wall, and dropping a coin in each is said to bring you good luck. (We had two coins, so maybe we'll get a little good luck.)







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Location:Wat Pho, "The Temple of the Reclining Buddha" - Bangkok

Gallery of Murals

This is a part of one panel of a huge mural that depicts one of Asia's epic tales...



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Location:Grand Palace - Bangkok

Statues Lining a Wall Outside a Temple

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Location:Grand Palace - Bangkok

One Courtyard in the Grand Palace

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Location:Bangkok

Bangkok Tour - Stop 2

Our second stop was a large group of shrines, statues, murals, and buildings that once housed the royal family, but is now primarily used on ceremonial occasions. The Emerald Buddha (actually jade, but green is green...just ask Kermit) is a small statue dating from the 14th century...no photos allowed except through the doorway from outside. Learned several traditions for the royal family...like you can be killed for touching the queen (I assume the king gets a bye on this one), when you first meet the king, you must be naked from the waist up (to make sure you're not carrying a concealed weapon), etc. Not sure if these traditions are enforced today!



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Location:Grand Palace and Temple of The Emerald Buddha - Bangkok

Monk Blessing New Truck

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Location:Temple of the Golden Buddha - Bangkok

Bangkok Tour Day - First Stop

We started the day at the Temple of the Golden Buddha, which is the world's largest solid gold statue, weighing in at 5,500 pounds!! Its origins are believed to go back to the 13th or 14th century, and at some point it covered with plaster to hide its identity from potential looters. An accident in 1954 cracked the plaster, revealing what had been hidden for several centuries. We also witnessed a monk blessing a new truck...our guide says this is customary for new cars. Photos to follow!



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Location:The Temple of the Golden Buddha

Our Swimming Pool

While we likely will never get to use it, our hotel has a beautiful swimming pool...actually two swimming pools, connected by a lap pool. A wooden bridge (lower left in photo) spans the lap pool. Interesting design!


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Dinner at "Eat Me"

The owner obviously is a fan of Alice in Wonderland...and is (or has hired) a great chef...foie gras appetizer, crispy-skinned duck entree, and date pudding (like a soufflé) with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Followed, of course, by a stop at Starbucks on the way back to the hotel! We may need double-wide seats on the flights home!








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Location:Bangkok

Bangkok Skyline from our Hotel Balcony

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Location:Bangkok

Quandary

After 50 years of marriage, I still don't understand why we need to travel half way around the world to spend hours shopping for something you can likely find on Amazon!


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Location:Jim Thompson Silk Shop - Bangkok

Shock du jour

The cost of a 25 minute cab ride from our hotel to a shopping area...under $2!!! Amount of honking in heavy traffic...zero. We're definitely not in New York!


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Location:Bangkok

Arrival in Bangkok!

We're here!! After enough flight time to listen to the complete Ring Cycle (don't worry...I didn't...opted instead for The Planet of the Apes, Guardians of the Galaxy, and pop music) we arrived in Bangkok around 11:00 pm local time, which is 11 hours ahead of Indy. On the way, we changed planes in Seoul, which is 13 hours ahead of Indy...making the connection with 10 minutes to spare! (Our flight into Seoul from Atlanta was 15+ hours, so timing was a concern.)

We crossed the International Date Line, which I always thought was "Hey babe, can I buy you a beer?" 😄

We loved flying Korea Air...lots of staff per flyer, courteous staff, restrooms kept stocked and spotless, modern equipment, etc. I was surprised to find a mini-store set up in the back of our Atlanta - Seoul flight, selling perfume, bottles of booze, etc. I guess that's the next iteration of the Sky Mall.

Our tour company, Remote Lands (I'm hoping for a rebate every time I mention them!) arranged for VIP immigration processing, and we were on the road to our hotel, with our guide and driver, in a flash. We couldn't see much in the dark, but will post a few photos when it gets light. The first priority in the morning will be to locate the nearest Starbucks!

In the meantime, we've been up since early Tuesday morning, and it's now 2:00 am here...time for some shuteye!


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Location:The Peninsula Hotel - Bangkok

Time is getting near!

A little less than one month to the start of this year's adventure, with friends Chuck and Sarah O'Koon from Louisville! First stop...Thailand. (OK...that's really the third stop...first comes Atlanta, then Seoul, then Bangkok.) Thailand stops also include Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Lots to do before leaving! Stay Tuned!





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