The Big Mango Revisited

Bangkok! This pulsating city with its throbbing sea of humanity is Asia’s most cosmopolitan cities. We have more than filled our 4-days here & have walked until we dropped.  We have seen & experienced magnificent temples & palaces, taken the river boats on the canals, visited busy markets & have had a little glimpse of the vibrant nightlife. Spending a day or two does not do it justice, so here we are back to see the sights we didn’t have time for last year.

New fashion trend

Jim Thompson House Garden

Sleeping monk

Golden Buddha

Don’t forget the TP

Gates to China Town

School

Flower market

China Town night market

Roasting chestnuts

Orchids-Jim Thompson House garden

Although the city has two distinct areas, the old & new city, it is split into 50 districts. Our hotel is very central & we have also been using the skytrain to maneuver our way throughout the city.

Points of interest have included Jim Thompson House. This historically significant house, assembled from six traditional Thai-style houses, was built by the infamous CIA operative Jim Thompson who revived the Thai silk industry after World War II. It is beautifully  maintained with stunning Thai artwork & jungle-like gardens.

What would a city be without a China Town! Cramped & crowded, the main thoroughfare is lined with towering neon signs, shops of every kind & description spilling out into the sidewalks. After dark is comes alive & has some of the best street food in Bangkok. Getting there was half the fun as we maneuvered our way through back lanes with ramshackle housing only to stumble upon beautiful temples.

The Grand Palace, former residence of the King, is not just a palace, but also includes Wat Phra Kaew, the most sacred temple of Thailand.

It feels like we have walked a thousand miles & have seen most of the sights that were on our list. Needless to say a visit to the biggest market in Bangkok, Chatuchak Weekend Market, an incredibly vast, 35-acre indoor and outdoor market with more than 8,000 vendors selling anything and everything under the sun. To put that number in perspective, if you browsed every stall one minute each, non-stop for eight hours on every Saturday and Sunday, it would take you around two months to visit them all!

We are headed to Kanchanaburi, about 2-3 hours west of Bangkok next.

NOTE: double click on the pictures to get the caption.

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