Get It On, Bangkok A Drum

After what felt like the longest day of my life (with the time change it really was) we made it to Thailand. We figured out how to get a taxi and finally pulled into the hostel a little after 2. After a quick shower we passed out. Jet lag is a bitch and my sleep didn't last long. In the morning we settled into the room a little better and headed out to visit some sights. We took the to The Grand Palace. It was a nice way to see a lot of the city quickly. When we got to the oldest and holiest part of the city it was an interesting scene. As the King passed away about a month ago after ruling for 70 years the entire country is in

mourning. All the locals will dress in black for up to a year. Thais from all over the country, and some from outside of it, are coming to The Grand Palace to pay their respects. The King's body is actually in the lying in state so a good portion of the palace grounds were off limits to us. Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is part of The Grand Palace that we were able to visit. It was spectacular and I know my pictures do not do it justice. Everything was so intricate and detailed. The gold shone in the sunlight, the porcelain was painted beautifully, and each building had so many features. It was a lot to take in. We finally took off our shoes and made our way into the actual temple (wat). Wat Phra Kaew is the most sacred temple in the entire country. The emerald Buddha is only allowed to be touched by the King and Crown Prince. they change his outfit 3 times a year. Our ticket also included entrance to the Queen's Textile Museum. The current exhibition displayed the queen's clothing from her visit to Europe and the US in 1960. It was nice but the dark rooms did not help my jet lag.
Next we walked to Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Along the way we stopped at a tent giving away free lunch to the people who came to mourn. It was tasty but spicy. The grounds of Wat Pho were equally as stunning. This temple is also one of the holiest and contains ashes from past kings. The reclining Buddha is about 50 feet high and 150 feet long. It's amazing. It literally goes floor to ceiling, wall to wall and almost seems too big for it’s

housing. As one of Bangkok’s oldest wats, it is also one of the oldest universities. Today there are still schools for children on site and… a massage school!
After a long, hot day of touring the wats we thought a Thai massage was long overdue. We booked 30 minute foot massages and 30 minute body massages. The massage was mostly relaxing and very different than any massage I’ve had before. For the feet they used a wooden spoon-like tool. For the body massage they pushed on areas all over the body. I swore I would have bruises the next day in some spots but it turns out I didn’t. They gave use iced tea before and after the massage and I have no idea what it was but it was refreshing. On the way back to the ferry I bought coconut water from a street vendor and Andrea bought mango. The vendor hacked open the coconut with a machete and the water was tasty. So much better than the stuff we buy in the store. The mango was huge and so juicy and ripe.
Very jet lagged, we went home and took naps before we went out. When we woke up we walked up the street for a snack then went back to the hostel to join a group heading out. Staff from the hostel took us to a spot that my guide books and the hostels say is the best pad thai in town. I’m glad they took us because nothing was in English and we never would have made it otherwise. The staff

ordered us shrimp pad thai which is orange in color because it contains shrimp roe oil. Instead of having egg scrambled into it, it is wrapped in a thin layer of egg. If you know me you know I’m not a huge egg fan but I appreciated it. The staff bought us dessert from a street vendor and then we headed to Ko Sai (not calzone). This is one of the big areas to go out at night but not as crazy as Patong. Essentially, it is a long street lined with bars and clubs. Street vendors are peddling beers, buckets of mixed drinks, deep fried bugs, laughing gas filled balloons, and food. The music from the

clubs is so loud the street is just one giant dance party. I ate some fried bamboo worms but did not attempt to eat the scorpions, snakes, grasshoppers, or tarantulas.
We had a slow start to the next day but made our way over to the weekend market. We spent about 2 hours there and it was completely overwhelming. It was a giant maze of narrow hallways and stands. They sold everything from fighting cocks to used sneakers. It was a feast for all the senses. I was a little too warm to eat from the street vendors but did enjoy more coconut water and coconut ice cream. Andrea had a traditional lunch that looked good. Next we made our way back to the ferry to go to the Forensic Medicine Museum (nerd alert). Turns out it was closed on weekends. Bummed, we decided to take a tuk tuk to the nearby Royal Barge Museum. Riding a tuk tuk is not for the faint of heart. They weave in and out of traffic, drive on the wrong side of the road, and come so close to other vehicles. The Royal Barge Museum was kind of a let down as it was only a dock with 7 barges tied up. We didn’t pay to go in and just looked from a distance. They were beautifully carved and painted in gold. After an air conditioned uber ride back to the hostel I was ready for a cocktail and some food. We showered up and got ready to head to the train station for our overnight train to Chiang Mai. It turns out three other people from our hostel are heading there as well. We all added each other on Facebook and are going to try and meet up. I’ve never taken an overnight train before but it will just be another adventure.