A last minute trip to Bangkok was planned when Gina learned she had a 5 day weekend over Easter. Here are the highlights.
The Grand Palace and Wat Pho
Highly recommended by friends, our visit to The Grand Palace was very eye-opening. Considered the premier attraction in Bangkok, we fully intended to take in the royal history and beauty of the Palace. We opted for a tour guide after Jackie (the tour guide) convinced us the tour wouldn’t mean anything without her narrative. She was right! Not only did she provide the historical, cultural and religious detail, she also was an excellent photographer and jokester.High tensions were in the air as anti-government demonstrators took to the streets.
(In Thailand it is illegal to criticize the monarchy. In general, Thai people prefer to be agreeable to a fault.)
As counterpoint to confrontational protesting, Jackie was more typical in patriotism and love of country. She also was quick to remind other vistors to be respectful with their actions (e.g. no shoes in certain areas and no yelling or calling to others in loud voices.) If you’re in the neighbourhood, we recommend you contact Jackie for a sightseeing tour.
As counterpoint to confrontational protesting, Jackie was more typical in patriotism and love of country. She also was quick to remind other vistors to be respectful with their actions (e.g. no shoes in certain areas and no yelling or calling to others in loud voices.) If you’re in the neighbourhood, we recommend you contact Jackie for a sightseeing tour.
Nearby, Wat Pho has the famous reclining Buddha. With Lindsay Small’s wisdom echoing in our ears, we hesitantly put our shoes in cubby holes and walked the interior of the temple. The reclining Buddha is splendid, but difficult to enjoy its grandeur when surrounded by so many people. (What’s up with all the Spaniards taking a Thai holiday over Easter? What about the processions at home?)Find!: Thai pineapple (and other tropical fruit) with Li Hing Mui salt and chilli flakes sold outside the Wat. A cool, sweet, refreshing and rehydrating treat on a very hot day!
Wat ArunWat Arun is a must-see attraction in Bangkok, conveniently located across the river from The Grand Place. As we learned from our tour guide at The Grand Palace, the King was innovative to reuse the broken porcelain from China as decoration. Wat Arun colourfully embraced porcelain in the decorative design. Gina’s highlight was ascending (and descending, yikes!) the steep stair cases. Her mantra: No one has died falling down this stair case – don’t be first!
Ruen Urai
We’d be remiss if all we mentioned was the Thai pineapple, and not the most fragrant meal of our life. Or, according to Darryl, “herbalicious”. Ruen Urai came recommended to us by Time Out Bangkok, ideally located next to our hotel. This unique, hidden gem known for its wine list is an herb outpost cum restaurant serving traditional Thai dishes infused, dressed, seared, sautéed, etc. with a varity of fresh fragrant herbs.
Highlight: Seared tuna salad topped with mounds of delicately shaved lemongrass, green onion, and cilantro tossed in a fish sauce, syrup, and citrus dressing. Beyond. Darryl was ready to order one more – so he wouldn’t have to share.
More beauty from Bangkok or visit our Flickr photostream...
A stunning Lotus flower...
and fragrant pikake...
and the United Overseas Bank, more commonly known as The Robot Building...
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