Barbara in Bangkok

Let's go!

Mom at Hilton dock.
The busy river scene
Beauty along the canals
Floating vendor happy we bought a cold drink from her
Splashing waters as a monk looks on

Classic Thai architecture
The palace in the distance
The gargoyles of Wat Arun
Steep climb up
Steep look down

The climb is worth it for this view
And this one too
Detail is amazing
Time to head into the night
A typical Bangkok street

Inside the Tuk Tuk
The fumes are a bit overwhelming
Chinatown
The grail - the Wat from across the river
View from our room at sunrise

A vendor selling food for the stall owners at Chatuchak
Pulled Thai iced tea
The food was far better then the ambiance
Our new friend
One of the many shrines around town.

After more then a year and a half in Singapore we finally got a family visitor from the US. My Mom arrived on the 16th and got the whirlwind tour of Singapore and Asia.

After a small welcoming party with a few of our Singapore friends, Mom and I headed to Bangkok for the weekend.

We stayed on the Chao Praya river at the Hilton. the hotel was really new and slick looking. We immediately headed out for a long tail boat tour. It never gets boring traveling down the Chao Praya and the adjoining canals and stopping at the great temples. The boat trip was a hit. That evening we went to a rather sleazy night market where all kinds of pirated goods were available. I wanted to show mom the bar across the river from Arun Wat with the amazing view of the temple at night. http://www.arunresidence.com/main.htm I had been there a month before for a conference.

I didn't know the name or the address as we hopped into a tuk tuk . http://www.into-asia.com/bangkok/tuktuk/ the driver consulted another guy on the street who spoke a bit of English as I pointed out the location on a map. We headed out. The tuk tuk experience is always a thrill. Riding in a little three wheeler, open air, zipping in and out of the extremely crazy smog choked Bangkok traffic is better then any thrill ride at an amusement part. Our long ride took us through Chinatown, the famous flower market and a relatively new riverside night market frequented mainly by young people. The sights, sounds and smells of the journey came close to causing sensory overload. After a few wrong turns I noted we were very close to our destination. I thought we zipped past the road and asked our man to stop. He turned around and down the seemingly deserted road we went. Sure enough at the end was the Inn, restaurant and bar. I took Mom up the rickety staircase to the outdoor bar and there before us was the magnificent, well lit Wat Arun and all the colorful night boat traffic on the river. Quite a day!

The next day we went to the famous Chatuchak weekend market. This was about my 5th time there but I never tire of it. Mom and I trekked around for a few hours and then headed back downtown for lunch. We ate a really great little place called Chaii Karr. The Thai mango salad, soup and fresh coconut ice cream get our rave review. We went back to the hotel for a little down time, massage and pool visit. That night we dined at an al fresco (read- tables in a street) restaurant (Jok Phochana) that at first gave Mom the creeps. She wasn't sure she wanted to eat at a sleazy looking mostly outdoor place in a seedy neighborhood as cars, bikes and scooters zipped by within inches of our table. She had some better feelings after a kind Thai/Chinese guy sitting next to us told us in very good English that he had lived in Bangkok all his life and this was one of his favorite restaurants. He was right, the food was great. Pad Thai to die for, green curry that was ever so tasty, grilled prawns, sauteed veggies and of course a couple of cold Chang beers made Mom a believer. http://www.changbeer.com/

The next morning we took a walk near the hotel. It is always nice to stroll around and see how people live. The small streets and alleys were filled with people going about their business. Preparing food, opening shops, getting their hair cut and more. We made a few last stops after breakfast and then headed to the airport and back to Singapore.