Bangkok and Back

Well, took me a while to sit my butt down and let you guys know I’M HOME! Didja miss me?

Anyway, Bangkok was a blast. Three days was not enough – which means I’m definitely going back! I was there with a bunch of reporters and photographers. It was sponsored by Air Asia, who now flies direct to Bangkok from Kota Kinabalu (ehem, doing a bit of promo on my bit here…). Bangkok is a huge city, complete with skytrains, subways, flyovers, towers…The works. But made the city unique were the huge temples and palaces, built smack dab in the middle of the city. They’ve retained a lot of old buildings too so you get to see a fusion of old and new. Quite a spectacle. Visiting temples is a real tourist-y thing to do but I would encourage anyone to check out at least one during their visit (warning: there is such thing as ‘temple overkill’ – no more than three in a day and you’ll be fine!). I guess the most popular one would be Wat Pho, where you can find the biggest statue of Buddha in the world. Before I went in, I figured, gee how big could it be?

Trust me, it’s BIG.

And beautiful. I actually stood in awe for a good five seconds before I realized I was holding up the line. The Buddha is lying on his sides and when you reach the soles of his feet, you’ll notice they’re inscribed with ancient scriptures and pictures. I think it tells a story or something. Fascinating stuff. But the most enlightening experience was when I went to the temple of the meditating Buddha (situated within Wat Pho but a bit of a walk from the main building). The minute I entered and knelt down, I was washed over by a sense of calm. I don’t mean to be dramatic but seriously…I haven’t felt that in a long time. The Buddha is sitting in the usual lotus position (legs crossed) and there are five disciples surrounding him. Flowers and candles illuminate the temple and there are age-old drawings on the walls. And it’s so quiet, even when it’s filled with people. Now, I’m a Catholic but I have to admit I have a new-found admiration and respect for Buddhism. I understand now that it’s not so much a religion as it is a belief. A way of life. I was told that Buddha’s main lesson to mankind was to be responsible for their actions.

I think that makes complete sense.

Also, I learned that the Thai people are not only religious but VERY fond of their King. A joke that starts with, “Have you heard the one with the King and Queen…?” would not bode well here unless you want to be fed to the many giant pythons found in the Land of Smiles. Speaking of huge reptiles. I took a photo with a seven-foot python. Took some convincing and when the guy finally wrapped the critter around my shoulders, I nearly died. First of all, it was heavy. Ok, I told myself, no problem. And THEN…it started to wriggle. And I could feel the muscles rub against my body. EEEEW! And the more I freaked out, the more it wriggled. I could almost hear him say, “Wow, dinner’s served!”

On a less wriggly note, I also got up close and personal with a baby elephant. It was so adorable. I want one for Christmas.

Ooh and one of the highlights would definitely be having dinner on board a ship, cruising down the Chao Praya river. First off, the food was excellent. After that, we adjourned to the top deck where a live band was playing. As I enjoyed the breeze, I was totally mesmerized by the skyline of Bangkok. Tall towers and ancient temples were lit up along the banks. We even cruised beneath several bridges, with people waving to us from above. It was such an amazing experience. But a word of warning – being alone and surrounded by lovey dovey couples under the Bangkok stars can be damaging to your emotional state. Heh.

And shopping? Well, we were only given some three hours of shopping throughout three days. The shopping malls are impressive but it’s the night markets that’ll give you a retail orgasm (I got mine at Suan Lum Night Market. Yes, yes OH YES!) . First tip: Bargain like your life depended on it. And there’s only one thing to do after this: buy, buy, buy! And it’s not an urban legend: Things can get really cheap over here. I got some pretty good bargains but I don’t think I exhausted my wallet enough. There’s always next time…

Anyway I’ll let the photos do the talking. Bangkok hasn’t seen the last of me yet.

“You to me are everything, the sweetest song that I can sing…Oh baby, oh baby!”
- You To Me Are Everything, The Real Thing (one of my favourite feel good songs)