Before arriving in Bangkok we had talked to many tourists, from all over the world, that had been to Bangkok. Everyone had very individual views on the city, so we were interested to see what it was really like. We arrived in the afternoon and immediately set out to explore.
We visited the Patpong night market, also known as the home of go-go dancers and ping-pong shows
We decided to just take in the atmosphere and some street food.
The rest of our days in Bangkok were spent taking in all the sights.
Many we reached via the public ferry.
We visited the Royal Grand Palace. The palace was the official residence of the Kings of Siam (and later Thailand) from 1782 to 1925. Today the Palace is used for official events. The Grand Palace is made up of numerous buildings, halls, pavilions set around open lawns, gardens and courtyards. Its asymmetry and eclectic styles are due to its organic development, with additions and rebuilding being made by successive reigning kings over 200 years of history.
Wat Pho - The Temple of the Reclining Buddha
With one seriously large Buddha! 150 feet to be exact!
The flower market, Pak Khlong, the biggest fresh flower market in the city. This is where flower traders from all over the country convene at the wee hours of each day to unload their freshly cut blossoms in bulk.
Wat Arun, locally known as Wat Chaeng, is situated on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. This Wat or Buddhist temple is an architectural representation of Mount Meru, the center of the world in Buddhist cosmology. In the mythology of Tibetan Buddhism, Mount Meru is a place that simultaneously represents the center of the universe and the single-pointedness of mind sought by adepts. Thousands of miles in height, Meru is located somewhere beyond the physical plane of reality, in a realm of perfection and transcendence. The four-corner prang of Wat Arun, which house images of the guardian gods of the four directions, reinforces this mystical symbolism.
And China Town.Chinatown is located in one of the oldest areas of Bangkok. It represents the resettlement of Chinese on the Western bank of Chao Phraya river after Rama I moved the capital of the kingdom from Thonburi to Rattanakosin. Chinatown is located in one of the oldest areas of Bangkok.
And we also visited The Golden Buddha, the world's largest solid gold statue.
We also did lots of aimless wandering until we found ourselves in the residential part of Bangkok.
Homes on stilts, little kids playing in the river and even a neighborhood boxing ring surprised us as we turned each corner.
Of course everyone thought we were lost and looked at us like we were aliens. But that never stops us!
And of course we scouted out every type of food in every type of setting.
Some kind of coconut snack at the flower market
Fresh fruit in a neighborhood square
And delicious lunch opportunities everywhere you turn.
However our favorite meal of everyday was dinner. The first couple of nights we had restaurants that we wanted to visit and would set out on the ferry with directions. Each of those nights we would pass so many amazing smells from food carts set up on every sidewalk, where the tables were packed with locals.
And each night we ended up at a food cart. After a few nights we gave up on the restaurants and set out at night to find a new sidewalk on which to eat dinner. These meals were truly some of the freshest and most delicious meals I have ever had.
Even after all of that sightseeing we weren't done with Bangkok.
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