The Wats of Bangkok

Two weeks back home already and I can hardly believe that it was almost a month ago already that I was standing in a line inside of Kathmandu International Airport (KTM), patiently waiting to have all my hand luggage un-packed and inspected for those “weapons of mass terror”, which include such deadly items as nail clippers, blunt plastic scissors and safety pins. How is it that once you back in the rat race a single person who can’t be bothered to even stop and think for themselves for a second can cause you more stress and anxiety than the two tourists entering the airplane in front of you with a 30cm Steel Gurka knife sticking out of his backpack.

The flight to Bangkok, Thailand was pleasant, even though my stomach was recovering for a protein overdose the night before (in Nepal, when the menu says it’s a 600g steak that is the cooked weight). The new Bangkok airport is really impressive (not that I’ve seen the old one) and even though taxi drivers & hotels tout you on the way out, it fails in comparison to the valiant touting experienced exiting KTM.

The airport bus drops you right at the entrance of the infamous backpacker street of Th Khao San. If you disregard all standards, finding a room to lay your backpack down in, is really no difficult task (nor is the problem of finding food or drink as the street is packed with vendors). Needless to say, save the practically un-heard of problem of vacancy, I did not have much trouble find accommodation, as my only criteria was that the place needed to be clean (or at least give the convincing impression that it was). Besides I did not plan to stay in Bangkok long, just needed enough time to figure out how things worked and then move onwards.

Surprisingly, after the disco club next door cranked up the music close to midnight and a number of drunken & rowdy Brits tumbled though the corridors at 3am, I felt quite chipper the next day. Resolving that I probably should find quieter accommodation, I spent my morning exploring the local public transit system. Within a few hours I had resolved that the Sky Train and Subway systems are absolutely awesome, you really need to know precisely which public bus to take and that most of the tuk-tuk drivers who hand around Th Khao San can all burn in hell for all I care! Ironically it cost me as much Baht to get and from the Northern bus station as it cost for a ticket on a really nice government bus up to Sukhothai. Stranger still, I later discovered that the long distance government buses are much better / spacious / comfortable than the long distance “luxury” tourist bus (some how a TV does not make up of uncomfortable seats).

With an afternoon left, I did part of the walking tour detailed in the Lonely Planet Guide. First stop, Wat Phra Kaew & Grand Palace, where you literally have to “dress for the occasion”. T-Shirts require sleeves, long pants, closed toed shoes and no short skirts. No dressed adequately, no worries, baggy “one size fits all” pants and sarongs are available at the door. Wat Phra Kaew is mainly famous for it’s Emerald Buddha (closed, due to renovations), though there is still a lot to see in this temple complex, from gleaning stupas and temples decorated in mosaic and marble to the fascinating and stunning mural telling the Thai version of Ramakian, lining the inner walls of the complex. Make sure you have enough camera batteries and that you do not leave all your charged batteries in your hotel room, otherwise it’s a brisk, humid, 45min walk to Th Khao San and back (at least you get to practice ignoring Tuk-Tuk drivers).

Next stop Wat Pho, famous for housing the largest reclining Buddha (not closed for renovation). Now, I’ve already seen a lot of Buddha’s in my lifetime, but this one was really impressive, lying 46m long and 15m high, modeled out of plaster, around a brick core, covered in gold leaf with mother of pearl inlay ornaments for the eyes and feet. Though the only thing I could not quite understand was how they managed to take the postcard photo. Here is a huge Buddha, lying in a closed wall building, pillars all around it, and a space of not even 2 meters to walk around, but yet they manage to have a postcard of the entire Buddha, taken dead center and unobstructed. Pondering this and walking around the rest of Wat Pho, cured me of looking at glittering Thai temples.

I can’t really put my finger on it, but generally speaking, Bangkok did not impress me as much as some other big cities have. Even through I really did like the reliable, safe public transport system. I really like the idea of living in a place where a car is more of a luxury and not an absolute necessity. I also really appreciated the abundance and variety of available food. Talking about food… my favorite street vendor were the fruit ladies, whom have little trolleys, packed with slices of Watermelon, Pineapple, Guavas (big & firm with white flesh, unlike our soft & squishy red ones), Mangos and Melons! At 10Baht, a thick slice of Watermelon is perfect for sorting out the first hints of being hungry and wetting a dry mouth.

I did not find quieter accommodation, I did not even look and I also again did not have a very good night sleep. The bus ride to Sukhothai, was however thankfully very comfortable and pleasant.