One Night in Bangkok
Day 1-2 – June 14-15, 2016
Tuesday, Wednesday
Actually we'll be spending three nights in
Bangkok, but that's less catchy for a headline. ;)
After 30 long hours of traveling, we finally arrived at our apartment in Bangkok. The flights actually went really well. Korean Air was pretty awesome and watching movies made the 21 hours of flight time go by really quick. The kids did pretty well, catching a few hours of sleep during the night. I can't sleep on a flight and I find that I am less frustrated if I just don't even try. So I slept for maybe an hour during the 30 hours of traveling. I'm still paying for that a little. I can't keep my eyes open past 8pm and then I woke up at 2:30am and couldn't go back to sleep. Jet lag is real people!
Our first day in Bangkok, I had arranged for a guide and driver. I felt like that would be the easiest way to see the highlights of Bangkok. Niwat was our guide. His English was excellent and he was very patient with the kids as we dragged them from temple to temple. We stopped off for a quick breakfast with Niwat at a little street restaurant where we had Guay Tiew (Noodle soup with fish balls) and Passion fruit juice. We hit the highlights including The Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (the most sacred Buddha in Thailand). I loved the detail and colors in the mosaics and the reliefs. It was stunning. It was awesome having Niwat fill us in on all of the temple etiquette and the history and meaning of different objects.
After 30 long hours of traveling, we finally arrived at our apartment in Bangkok. The flights actually went really well. Korean Air was pretty awesome and watching movies made the 21 hours of flight time go by really quick. The kids did pretty well, catching a few hours of sleep during the night. I can't sleep on a flight and I find that I am less frustrated if I just don't even try. So I slept for maybe an hour during the 30 hours of traveling. I'm still paying for that a little. I can't keep my eyes open past 8pm and then I woke up at 2:30am and couldn't go back to sleep. Jet lag is real people!
Our first day in Bangkok, I had arranged for a guide and driver. I felt like that would be the easiest way to see the highlights of Bangkok. Niwat was our guide. His English was excellent and he was very patient with the kids as we dragged them from temple to temple. We stopped off for a quick breakfast with Niwat at a little street restaurant where we had Guay Tiew (Noodle soup with fish balls) and Passion fruit juice. We hit the highlights including The Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (the most sacred Buddha in Thailand). I loved the detail and colors in the mosaics and the reliefs. It was stunning. It was awesome having Niwat fill us in on all of the temple etiquette and the history and meaning of different objects.
Next was Wat Pho (The Temple of the Reclining
Buddha). The size was impressive! On our way out they had 106 little metal pots
that you drop one coin in each on the way out. People line up and buy a little
cup of coins for 20 baht (about 75 cents) and drop coins in as they walk
through. Of course we had to do it. We learned that every day of the week is a
different Buddha and depending on what day of the week you were born, that is
your Buddha. Isaac, Kira, Kate and I were all born on a Tuesday so we are the
Reclining Buddha (Nirvana). Calvin was born on a Friday so he is Standing
Buddha (thinking), Jeff is Sunday: Standing Buddah (considerate) and Mikey was
born on a Thursday: sitting Buddha (meditation).
Then it was on to the Wat Saket and it's 344
steps (Golden Mount Temple). And our last stop was Wat Traimit where we saw the
most valuable Buddha, a solid gold 5.5 ton statue of Buddha, worth over $22M!
A few highlights for the kids were trying Pa
Tong Go donuts with coconut cream sauce and chocolate sauce. Basically a little
fried scone with some yummy custardy sauce drizzled over the top. Isaac loved
the meat skewers (pretty sure it was pork but you never know). ;) I loved
walking through the flower market. We didn’t buy anything but I loved smelling
all of the flowers and watching the ladies make the flower rings for the
temples. Everyone loves the little boys. They want to take pictures of them and
smile at them or put their arm around them. It’s mostly sweet but sometimes
uncomfortable and probably could be weird or creepy depending on the person
doing the hugging.
We ate dinner at a little restaurant by our
condo called Krua Chum Sai. They didn’t speak very much English so it was a lot
of pointing and gesturing. Some of the food was so spicy we really couldn’t eat
it. Some was delicious. And the fruit they gave
us as a dessert at the end almost made you gag. The flavor wasn’t bad but the texture felt like you
were eating a slimy slug. It almost came back up for Calvin.
The Grand Palace
Niwat telling us the history of the mural.
Everyone needs a family photo with a giant demon guarding a temple.
Kate sprinkling me with holy water at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Banging the gong. You must always do it in 3s.
What Pho - reclining Buddha.
Bangkok flower market.
Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil. Wat Saket.
The view from our Bangkok apartment.
"Khop khun krap." Isaac learning to say "Thank you" in Thai.
Hitting the wall. So hot and tired. Nothing a little Sprite or Orange Fanta can't fix for this kid.
The Grand Palace.
Refreshing!
Beating the heat with their new Thai fans.
Tuk-tuks waiting to take their passengers.
Catching some rest in the shade at the Grand Palace.
The detail in the architecture is mind-blowing! Imagine the work this must have taken!
Kate trying our "dessert" fruit after our Thai dinner.
Excellent planning! Sounds like it's been amazing so far. I'm loving my living room adventure. Thank you for posting. The kids are such great travelers. This is a wonderful experience.
ReplyDeleteLots of Love, Nana