Today is a day of transition. I had all day to hang out in Bangkok before my flight to Jakarta tonight. After depositing my bags at the trusty and safe YHA Hostel in Silom, I headed down to the river. An early morning boat ride on the Chao Phraya River is one of the quintessential ways to see Bangkok. Not only is it a great way to escape the intense traffic of motorbikes, tuk-tuks and taxis, but a quick sail down the river is a cheap way to see some of Bangkok's important sights. The river has a long history with the development of the city. At one point, the capital was on the other side of the city in Thonburi. The King moved the capital to it's present location in 1782.
My first stop was to re-visit the massage school at the Wat Pho temple. This time I was going to splurge ($10 USD) for a one hour full body massage. I changed into some clothes provided and met my masseuse. After a quick prayer she began the massage. Thai massage involves a lot of stretching and bending in addition to massaging tension knots. It seems that the masseuse was concentrating on blood flow and circulation. After the massage was over I was completely relaxed and almost dizzy with a sense of calm.
My next stop for the day was the Wat Arun or Temple of the Dawn. I hopped on a ferry and crossed the river to explore one of Bangkok's most unique temples. It's an architectural masterpiece begun by Rama II and built in the Ayunthaya style. The intricate detail of ceramics and tile shaped into flowers is fascinating. The steps of the main part of the complex are steep but well worth the climb. The views of the city and the Palace were the best I've seen this whole week. Needless to say, it is a worthwhile climb for great picture opportunities.
The rest of my day was spent wandering the street markets of Silom that weave in and out of high-rises and 5th Avenue type shops. It really is a strange dichotomy to see a street vendor stall selling fake Prada sunglasses and knock-off Christian Audigier shirts in front of a Banana Republic.
I waited an hour for my airport express bus to show up and it never did. I hastily jumped in a taxi and headed for the airport. Including toll charges it cost me a whopping $7.65 USD to get to the airport.
Friday, November 21, 2008
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1 comments:
Good Job!!! From my experience of Bangkok trip. I think that looking for accommodation around Sukhumvit are is the good idea because Sukhunvit is in the heart of the shopping district, both in terms of large department stores and the various stalls lining both sides of the road. The various side-streets provide a proliferation of nightlife venues. For the renowned and well-known spots, you will need to walk onwards past the Asok crossroads to Sukhumvit Soi 21 or Soi Cowboy. This area also offers a wide selection of cuisine to choose from, both in terms of air-conditioned high-end restaurants and open air restaurants offering quite reasonable prices.
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