A beautiful day...

In many respects the best adventures come when you don't do your research and get off the beaten path. Ditch that guidebook and tuk-tuk right onto that road less travelled. Unless of course your tuk-tuk driver happens to be a scam artist! Thankfully we DID read our guidebook and knew exactly what to look for. We were warned against drivers who tell you that the temples are closed but that for a small fee they can get you in the back door. Five times we were approached with this ludicracy. Thankfully we just trusted our instincts and kept on walking. Such a scrumptious day lay before us after that!

Wat Pho Temple, prayers, offerings, monks, markets, marching bands, fortune tellers, art, kites.... I pinched myself just to make sure that the day was real!

Now a simple dinner and early to bed for we catch the train to Cambodia at 5:55am. Hope this finds you all snuggled up cozy somewhere eating Christmas cookies... Mmm... cookies.

Nate's thoughts of the day:

If a monk buys a car, is it good karma? And does he start it with his monkey?

pictures of the Royal Family



offerings at Wat Pho





Wat Pho. Temple of the Reclining Buddha





amazing!



Kites flying in the park at the Royal Palace, Bangkok



Dragon fruit





One of the many golden Buddhas at Wat Pho



Hair do? Hair dont?

I heart Bangkok!

"Bangkok! Bangkok! Wakey wakey!! Bangkok. Last stop. You get off NOW!"

Twelve hours and two buses later we journeyed from Krabi town to Bangkok. Our bus, containing 36 psychedelic dentist style chairs, traveled overnight and landed us in the overwhelming city of Bangkok. First impression: LOVE it!

After being somewhat rudely awakened and basically thrown off the bus, luggage and all, having no idea where we were, we hopped in a cab and directed him to bring us to "a cheap place". Well, that didn't really work out so well as his cheap place (for roughly $10) was... Well lets just say we probably would have left with a few bugs in our backpacks. The blessing in this though, was that at the early hour (6am) we were able to witness, across the street from us, a peaceful and humbling act. Monks receiving their daily alms. The orange of their robes was the brightest light on the dark city streets. They walk barefoot throughout the city and people will pack their car trunks full of food, pull over on the street and give offerings to the monks waiting in line. This happens twice a day and all they hope for in return is good karma in life and the hereafter.

Eventually we found a decent spot to lay our weary heads and have been here for 1 night with 2 to go. Bangkok really is such a captivating and wonderful place. We don't claim to be city people by any means but there is something quite captivating and mystical about Bangkok- air quality aside! Today we went to Chatuchak Market, an open air flea market which sprawls and crawls for 35 acres. We decided to get there as early as possible to one: beat the heat and two: get the best bargains. I highly suggest doing this if anyone finds themselves here. By noon the joint was swarming and steaming. Having been fairly conservative on purchases thus far, we felt we could go a little nuts today. And nuts did we go! Food galore, clothes galore, tuk-tuk rides, more food and then, to really take it to the next level, the most expensive Guinness we've ever had. It was all worth it tho and we adopted (at least for today) the motto, "money shmony". I'm sure that won't last too long!

A wonderful day, in a wonderful city with a wonderful man. Very grateful I am. And now off to eat again!