The second part of my journey in Thailand took place in Bangkok. I knew that Chiang Mai was famous for being a laid-back, perhaps more authentically “Thai” place surrounded by forests and mountains, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with Bangkok. I had heard that people usually don’t visit here for more than 2–3 days, and that shopping seems to be one of the main reasons that people come. After being here for five days (no, sorry, I actually ended up being here for seven days due to missing my flight check-in time at the ticket desk), I understand what they mean. Shopping does seem to be a big part of being here (there are big malls all over the place). There are, however, other things to see and do too. Temples are plentiful, as are night markets and lots of food to try. With that said, let’s continue…

Day 1

OK, so nothing really happened on day 1 because I arrived at night and all I did was go to a western bar and grill to have a delicious burger.

Day 2

Asiatique

I tried to go see the famous Grand Palace and other temples on the first full day, but that did not work out as I started out too late and the palaces had closed by then. I did, however, manage to continue going down the river to the end, where there is a big shopping place along the boardwalk called “Asiatique.” It has tons of food stalls and little shops (some are full of cheap touristy crap, and some others have nicer clothing and jewelry items). There is also a big Ferris wheel and some other fun things for kids (I decided not to go on the Ferris wheel since it would cost me 300 baht).

It was here that I was able to find a cashmere scarf, necklace, and earrings for my sister’s birthday.

Day 3

The Grand Palace, Temple of Dawn and the Reclining Buddha

After I figured out where and when I should be in order to see the temples, I was able to see the Grand Palace as well as the Temple of Dawn and the Reclining Buddha. All of these places were along the same river as the Asiatique market.

After the Grand Palace, I headed on over to see the famous golden Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho).

The final temple to see was called the “Temple of Dawn” (Wat Arun), which was just across the river. Unfortunately, it was being worked on at that time, so it was covered by scaffolding.

Day 4

Taling Chan Floating Market

I wanted to do something that was an integral part of Bangkok culture, but not something that would be as touristy and crowded as the Grand Palace. I decided that I wanted to go to a floating market. There were several bigger, more well-known markets, but I didn’t want to risk being annoyed and tired out by the tourists, so I opted to go to one that, from what I read, seemed like a decent option (not too far away and not too crowded). The place was called “Taling Chan Floating Market.” The concept of a floating market is pretty much what it sounds like. People are in their boats lined up to sell people different things (the people in the boats pretty much sell and cook food, while the other stalls along the river sell gift items). There, I decided to go on a little river boat tour that heads toward a monastery.

Miscellaneous

Here are some other random photos (mostly having to do with food).

While I enjoyed my time in Bangkok, I can see why some people might not stay here for more than a few days. I would come back again, perhaps during the dry season. Although the wet season here didn’t seem to affect my plans as much as it did in Chiang Mai,.

Stay tuned for the third installment… Koh Samed.