Where's Scott?

I crash early, and Janise arrives (very) early the next morning. We’ve planned for a local guide to take us around town and hit the top 6 or 7 tourist sights.

Nui’s our guide, a tiny (ok normal for Thai) 20 something, with excellent English and a warming smile. We jump on a river boat and head up to the old king’s palace and wander between the beautiful and detailed buildings while Nui gives us the history. I remember some of the buildings we see, but at 12 you remember different things than an adult (like whether the demon statues were good scary or bad scary). There’s so much detail in every building, it’s hard to focus. Small, 1cm mirrors and gold-plated tiles form mosaics on 20 foot walls, around pillars and in alcoves – the man-years of effort required boggles the mind, but then, this is a palace.

The architecture is an interesting mix of styles, as after king Rama V traveled to Europe, the buildings inherited a European look. One building has 2 stories that could have been pulled from Oxford Street in London, but’s topped with a detailed red and gold-gilded Thai roof (so that it fits in with the “skyline” of the other buildings)

After some more touring, we grab a boat and visit the canals of Bangkok. Before there were cars everywhere, Bangkok was traveled by canal, and many of the canal houses have been passed down through the generations mostly unchanged, so you can find the city as it was, and it’s fantastic. Old store fronts straight out of the flea market, beautiful hanging gardens, traditional hand-carved Teak houses on stilts, shanty towns barely above the water line. Clearly, though, life’s turned away towards the unseen road, and many have built up high walls to protect their new “backyard,” cutting off the covered walkway that used to lead people from the water to their front door.

It’s well passed lunchtime, and Nui takes us to one of her favorite lunch spots. I’ve been craving Tom Yum since I arrived, and order one up “Thai spicy”. Just what the doctor ordered, I feel the flavor course through my veins; Thai food is just good for the soul. We top lunch off with the richest most wonderful coconut ice cream (served in a coconut!). Why can’t Ben & Jerry’s taste like this?!

We head out very sated, and grab taxis to a few other must-sees, many of which spark memories of my last visit. At the Marble Temple, I find a wonderful sense of peace; whether it’s the bald, orange draped monks quietly strolling across the garden bridges, or the sudden lack of street noise and tourists, I don’t know, but there’s a wonderful tranquility in the air.

Our last stop is the Jim Thomson house; the house was built in the 50s buy an American who wanted to preserve Thai culture, and amassed a huge collection of historical art. The house is wonderful, hand built in the Thai style, whole walls open to the gardens and the canal. I want one.

We bid Nui goodbye, and meet Gretchen (a friend of a friend of Janise’s) at the Banyon Tree for drinks. This 70 story hotel has the most amazing rooftop bar I’ve ever seen. Several tiers place the bar at the highest point for a mile around, and sitting at the bar you have 360 view of the whole city. Fantastic! Gretchen’s full of energy; she works for Asia Care (?) and transferred to Bangkok from SF a few years ago. She loves the expat lifestyle, and tells of the many party districts that dot downtown, from Disney fun to downright nasty. Sounds like she’s planning to stay awhile.