Jenna and I returned to Bangkok for a few more days of sightseeing before she heads home and I head to Cambodia.
Day 1: we arrived in the morning after an uneventful overnight train. Jenna took a nap and I went to the Vietnam embassy to drop my passport off. We decided to take it easy that day and saw Harry Potter, which was so good!
Day 2: today we set out for some weekend market madness. Our shopping bags came back fuller and our wallets emptier!
Day 3: Wanting to get out of the city walls a bit, I decided we should see some of the floating markets that I've heard so much about. I got directions from the hostel and we set out. We got there, eventually, but it took almost 45 minutes of walking around and asking blank faces "floating markets?" before we got recognition. Hallelujah! Jenna and I finally arrived and the rain had started to clear up, as we walked around trying to get our bearings. I quickly realized we were not at the market I had intended for us, we were somewhere else, in Amphawa. It would have been fine, except that this market didn't get started until 3pm and it was only 11am. What are we going to do for the next 4 hours in a teeny tiny town? We wandered here and there, eventually the time passed and it was market time!
The market ended up being really cool and worth the wait. Long tail boats line the canal that has lots of steps leading to the water. They cook the food on the boats and you sit on the steps and eat! It was great! There was an adorable older woman sitting next to me trying to help me order. She even called her daughter to help translate! The soup I was trying to order was totally worth it too, it was yummy!
Day 4: Trusty Lonely Planet maps a walking tour in Bangkok that we decided to tackle for an intense day of sightseeing. Sadly it rained all day, going from a drizzle to an out right down poor, not so great for a walking tour. We did manage to see the Grand Palace, where the famed emerald Buddah resides. I was a little disappointed with it, to be honest. The statue is very high up, surrounded by other statues and objects, and is on the smaller side. Jenna didn't even realize we have seen the emerald Buddah until after we had left! After a lunch of food on-a-stick we headed to Wat Pho, home of the reclining Buddah. The temple itself is very cool, bring the oldest and largest temple is Bangkok. I really liked this statue, it's HUGE, there's no mistaking this one! The statue is 46m long and 15m high and is solid, who knows how heavy this guy is. The statue is made of brick, plaster, and covered in gold leaf. It was a fun temple site, but the rain had gotten to us by this point and we headed home afterwards. See ya next time Buddah!
Day 5: Last day! Wow, the last 3 weeks with Jenna have flown by and we are both in disbelief that it's time for her to go. Jenny heads home and I join my tour group for Cambodia and Vietnam. Initially we were going to go to this small island around Bangkok, but it was taking too long, so we ended up wandering around and eating more foods on-a-stick. I don't know what it is about foods on sticks, but I'm loving it!
I've got a few more sites I'd like to see in Bangkok, like Jim Thompson's house, that I will most likely tick off the old to-do-lost during a couple of overnight pass throughs in the next couple of months.
Hard to believe but I've officially hit the halfway point. 4 months down and 4 to go! It's been crazy so far, can't wait to see what the next half brings!
Day 1: we arrived in the morning after an uneventful overnight train. Jenna took a nap and I went to the Vietnam embassy to drop my passport off. We decided to take it easy that day and saw Harry Potter, which was so good!
Day 2: today we set out for some weekend market madness. Our shopping bags came back fuller and our wallets emptier!
Day 3: Wanting to get out of the city walls a bit, I decided we should see some of the floating markets that I've heard so much about. I got directions from the hostel and we set out. We got there, eventually, but it took almost 45 minutes of walking around and asking blank faces "floating markets?" before we got recognition. Hallelujah! Jenna and I finally arrived and the rain had started to clear up, as we walked around trying to get our bearings. I quickly realized we were not at the market I had intended for us, we were somewhere else, in Amphawa. It would have been fine, except that this market didn't get started until 3pm and it was only 11am. What are we going to do for the next 4 hours in a teeny tiny town? We wandered here and there, eventually the time passed and it was market time!
The market ended up being really cool and worth the wait. Long tail boats line the canal that has lots of steps leading to the water. They cook the food on the boats and you sit on the steps and eat! It was great! There was an adorable older woman sitting next to me trying to help me order. She even called her daughter to help translate! The soup I was trying to order was totally worth it too, it was yummy!
Day 4: Trusty Lonely Planet maps a walking tour in Bangkok that we decided to tackle for an intense day of sightseeing. Sadly it rained all day, going from a drizzle to an out right down poor, not so great for a walking tour. We did manage to see the Grand Palace, where the famed emerald Buddah resides. I was a little disappointed with it, to be honest. The statue is very high up, surrounded by other statues and objects, and is on the smaller side. Jenna didn't even realize we have seen the emerald Buddah until after we had left! After a lunch of food on-a-stick we headed to Wat Pho, home of the reclining Buddah. The temple itself is very cool, bring the oldest and largest temple is Bangkok. I really liked this statue, it's HUGE, there's no mistaking this one! The statue is 46m long and 15m high and is solid, who knows how heavy this guy is. The statue is made of brick, plaster, and covered in gold leaf. It was a fun temple site, but the rain had gotten to us by this point and we headed home afterwards. See ya next time Buddah!
Day 5: Last day! Wow, the last 3 weeks with Jenna have flown by and we are both in disbelief that it's time for her to go. Jenny heads home and I join my tour group for Cambodia and Vietnam. Initially we were going to go to this small island around Bangkok, but it was taking too long, so we ended up wandering around and eating more foods on-a-stick. I don't know what it is about foods on sticks, but I'm loving it!
I've got a few more sites I'd like to see in Bangkok, like Jim Thompson's house, that I will most likely tick off the old to-do-lost during a couple of overnight pass throughs in the next couple of months.
Hard to believe but I've officially hit the halfway point. 4 months down and 4 to go! It's been crazy so far, can't wait to see what the next half brings!
Magical!!! It feels like you have been gone for ages but I've only got 4 more months till I see you which will be a joyous occasion! Enjoy and I can't wait to hear more about your adventures. Love and miss you!
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