Gerry and Eva are now gone and Doren and Hilary leave tomorrow. Showing the Gringorten’s around town was admittedly a lot of fun. I had no idea the grandchildren were coming, so I quickly had to change direction and figure out what kids might like in Bangkok, quite the challenge in the City of Angels or Kuntep!
The first day, in spite of the kids, we did what every tourist must do .. ride down the Chao Phraya River to Ratanakosin island and explore the Grand Palace. It was even more magnificent than I remember it from last year. I think the reason why is that I have since visited Wats or Temples in three different countries and all over Thailand and I see how truly amazing this one is in terms of its architectural wonder, the gleaming colours in the burning sun, the mosaic encrusted pillars and the rich marble and gold everywere (hey, maybe I should write for the Thailand tourist board).
I couldn’t believe the food Doron ,Hilary and the kids were eating. I wouldn’t even look at the street food they seemed to gorging on and enjoying, I might add. They apparently did not get sick so it must be all right, I suppose. Maybe I will start eating some of it, if I can get up the nerve! Eva was incredible and did not seem to be affected in any way by jet lag and seemed to be carrying on at the same pace as everyone else, even though she just came in at midnight and started touring with everyone else the next day at 6 am.
After the Grand Palace we got back on the river (on a boat of course) and went to the wholesale flower market. Because it was only about 4 pm nothing much was happening
(it really is all about night market) and as always happens, a nice university student told us the night market was not going to get underway for an hour or two so we should take a canal tour through the Thonburi side of the river and see where the flowers came from . He negotiated for us with the longboat driver and as usual, this turned out to be the highlight of the trip for Doron and Hilary, I would think. In terms of sightseeing, you have to have a direction and general plan, but you have to be open to adventure and be willing to be flexible.
Since the kids were so amazing, I decided to give them a treat the next day and spend a kids day! We went to the Sampan zoo and animal farm and tramped around looking at the crocodiles and elephants and saw the invariable shows.
I must say watching elephants play football disturbed me more than a little, but is it any worse, I wonder, than the men dressed up as warriors re-enacting a historical battle scene? At least the warriors have a choice to prostitute themselves, the animals don’t. Similarly with the crocodiles being subjected to the poking and prodding of the keepers who eventually stuck their heads in their mouths. It’s show business for sure but somehow very disturbing, although I just turned on the television and saw a news item that Siamese crocodiles are almost declared extinct and they seemed to have hundreds of them at this zoo. Every zoo keeper in the world says that they are doing a good job of preservation and who knows
, maybe they are , but elephants playing football?
The Rose Garden was next store and we only had time essentially to eat there. Sylvia, you are right …the food was excellent. It is only 60 kilometers from Bangkok but about two hours by car because of the horrific traffic. Don’t quite know who is more exhausted by all this adventure!
The first day, in spite of the kids, we did what every tourist must do .. ride down the Chao Phraya River to Ratanakosin island and explore the Grand Palace. It was even more magnificent than I remember it from last year. I think the reason why is that I have since visited Wats or Temples in three different countries and all over Thailand and I see how truly amazing this one is in terms of its architectural wonder, the gleaming colours in the burning sun, the mosaic encrusted pillars and the rich marble and gold everywere (hey, maybe I should write for the Thailand tourist board).
I couldn’t believe the food Doron ,Hilary and the kids were eating. I wouldn’t even look at the street food they seemed to gorging on and enjoying, I might add. They apparently did not get sick so it must be all right, I suppose. Maybe I will start eating some of it, if I can get up the nerve! Eva was incredible and did not seem to be affected in any way by jet lag and seemed to be carrying on at the same pace as everyone else, even though she just came in at midnight and started touring with everyone else the next day at 6 am.
After the Grand Palace we got back on the river (on a boat of course) and went to the wholesale flower market. Because it was only about 4 pm nothing much was happening
(it really is all about night market) and as always happens, a nice university student told us the night market was not going to get underway for an hour or two so we should take a canal tour through the Thonburi side of the river and see where the flowers came from . He negotiated for us with the longboat driver and as usual, this turned out to be the highlight of the trip for Doron and Hilary, I would think. In terms of sightseeing, you have to have a direction and general plan, but you have to be open to adventure and be willing to be flexible.
Since the kids were so amazing, I decided to give them a treat the next day and spend a kids day! We went to the Sampan zoo and animal farm and tramped around looking at the crocodiles and elephants and saw the invariable shows.
I must say watching elephants play football disturbed me more than a little, but is it any worse, I wonder, than the men dressed up as warriors re-enacting a historical battle scene? At least the warriors have a choice to prostitute themselves, the animals don’t. Similarly with the crocodiles being subjected to the poking and prodding of the keepers who eventually stuck their heads in their mouths. It’s show business for sure but somehow very disturbing, although I just turned on the television and saw a news item that Siamese crocodiles are almost declared extinct and they seemed to have hundreds of them at this zoo. Every zoo keeper in the world says that they are doing a good job of preservation and who knows
, maybe they are , but elephants playing football?The Rose Garden was next store and we only had time essentially to eat there. Sylvia, you are right …the food was excellent. It is only 60 kilometers from Bangkok but about two hours by car because of the horrific traffic. Don’t quite know who is more exhausted by all this adventure!
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