Take a combination of immense humid heat with iconic eastern religion. Add congested chaotic traffic, vibrant markets, river water, palace, templess, and smiling Thai faces. You have reached Bangkok.
We had an amazing day yesterday, cleverly organised by the Princess people to pace our activity in the constant 34 deg. Visits to temples and palaces were followed by a cooler , shaded river trip and air-conditioned lunch.
Chris and I generally prefer a DIY style of day trip, but, being out totally out of our comfort zone, we chose to be led by Princess, and feel we definitely made the right decision. Following an early 7 am start, we took the 2 hour coach ride to Bangkok through a mixture of surroundings, urban and rural, rich and poor, sophisticated and unkempt. For the first time in my life I saw rice fields and pineapple plants. On entering the city, the traffic appeared chaotic, but the city went about its business with remarkable speed.
After a swift stop at the Wat Trimir Temple we watched a monk calmly making sacred bracelets.
The coach then took us to the Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha. This was undoubtedly the highlight of the trip, with exquisite jewel encrusted golden statues and decorations over an extensive area. Some amongst the group questioned the morality of such opulence, when we had earlier passed vast areas of makeshift housing and poverty. To me the contrast was not a problem. Clearly the Thai authorities were preserving their historic and spiritual heritage, and bringing substantial visitor income into the city for the benefit of all.
A much needed cooler river cruise then took us for a Thai style buffet lunch with a variety of stir fries and fresh exotic fruits. It was a lovely day.
By the time we returned to the ship, we had been in the Thailand heat for over 10 hours. The tour guide helped us to stay in the shade wherever possible, and kept us supplied with cold face cloths and iced water. Nevertheless, some were overwhelmed by sleepiness on the return journey!
Next stop, Vietnam.....
Glad to hear that all turned out as well as you (and we!) had hoped for in Bangkok.
ReplyDeleteDino Sagani was our Captain on Diamond on the sector from Singapore to Sydney a couple of years back.
We're already enjoying the blog Claire. Peter & Alan. xx
Very interesting blog! glad you are both enjoying the cruise.Keep blogging..... Our next cruise Russia and Norway we are now addicted. Your loving sister
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