Bangkok (the 'Big Mango')

We arrived in Bangkok on Sunday evening at 9:30, which was 3:30am Auckland time. The flight was 12 hours but it was bearable with 3 meals and in-flight movies (I watched 3, Annie 6!). I also reached 'sage' status on the quiz game, which occupied an hour of my time.

We went into the city with Gob yesterday and did a lot of walking and boat-riding. It was sunny with temperatures in the 90s, so we sought shade or air-conditioned restaurants wherever we could. This is us at the Grand Palace, just on the east side of the Chao Phraya River.

No shorts or bare shoulders are allowed in the temple area. We were prepared, but for those that weren't, ridiculous-looking pants and shirts were available for borrowing. There was a guard at the entrance who judged whether you were suitable to enter or whether wardrobe alteration was required.

The streets of Bangkok are bustling and full of the smells of food and heat. We probably saw 15 different kinds of meat available on small sticks, and then there was everything ranging from dried squid to frogs to fresh fish to all kinds of fruit available. Traffic does not stop for pedestrians or at crosswalks (we were warned in advance) and if there are mopeds driving on the sidewalk, you move out of the way.

We spent an hour and half riding boats up and down the river looking at the barges and the sharp contrast between white modern hotels on the waterfront and wooden buildings that look ready to fall down. A more official boat tour for an hour would have cost 1000 baht ($30) but our commuter-style trip was 42 baht ($1.50).

Plates of meat and noodles cost between $1 and $2, so I've taken to ordering 2 main dishes at each meal to make sure there is enough and to get exposure to some more variety. Yesterday's foods included cuttlefish, fried soft-shelled crabs, steamed cockles (clams), lots of squid, liver, cheese-stuffed fried shrimp balls, and lots of spice in various forms that left me sweating and in pain.

Here is a picture of the Rama 8 suspension bridge over the river at sunset, taken from our boat taxi.

Tomorrow night we will stay downtown (vs. at Gob's apartment near the University where he teaches architecture) and will head to Chiang Mai on Thursday morning for elephant training. We did see one elephant already, being led around by a couple selling sugarcane. I think the elephant was there to draw attention, but it was kind of a sad spectacle.