The Big Mango!

After spending 6 days soaking up the sun at the Hua Hin beach, on the Gulf of Thailand, (about a 3 hour drive from Bangkok), we decided to spend our last couple of days in the big city, aka the Big Mango. Hey, one never knows if or when we’ll ever be here again! Bob booked us into a beautiful & luxurious hotel – what a wonderful way to wind down after our amazing journey.

Bangkok is a huge metropolis & is basically divided into two districts, the old & the new. Once you figure out the top sights to visit, it is actually quite easy to navigate around. We decided on a river cruise with a stop at the Grand Palace, Wat Pho (the oldest & largest temple in Bangkok) & Wat Arun. At one time, Bangkok was called the ‘Venice of the East’ with the mighty Chao Phraya River leading from the Gulf of Thailand to the interior of the country. Times have changed, but it is still interesting to see the remnants of urban river life.

The heat, regardless of the time of day, is almost unbearable (just a comment, not a complaint) but we motored on thinking of the cold temperatures we’ll encounter upon our return! Of course we couldn’t help but run into areas of the anti-government demonstrations, but things are relatively peaceful. The motto ‘Shut down Bangkok’ is posted everywhere & these folks are in it for the long-haul!  People are camped out in a nearby park with literally thousands of tents.  Bob purchased a great T-shirt to support the cause;  the date printed on the shirt is also the beginning date of the shut-down (January 13) & coincidently the day we left on our journey to SE Asia!

Bangkok at night is a mix of tuk-tuks, food stalls & street markets with everyone selling something or someone!  I won’t get into the gorey sex trade details, but seeing all these young women & men out on the streets is such a sad sight!

As you read this, we at the airport waiting to begin the long journey home. It’s been a blast, we’ve met some wonderful folks, have had some great experiences & will definitely be on the road again soon. Thanks for travelling with us, it’s been a pleasure having you along. Your comments & encouragement have been sincerely appreciated. One more thing, we never say goodbye, but rather see you later & have a great life!

Author: Theresa & Bob

We love to wander, aimlessly at times it seems, and will keep moving as far and as long as we can. Serendipity has provided many wonders along the way, when least expected, and we love the anticipation of the 'next great find' just around the corner. View all posts by Theresa & Bob