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.

Fatehpur Sikri - Side Trip to Remember

Cycle and Ox each heading somewhere.

A busy crossing
Got Milk?
Rollin' rollin' rollin'
Just peered in to say hi!
Moove it!

Hello ladies
Water buffalo
Coming through!
A good one to enlarge.(click on picture)
DON-KEY!

Bah!
The Hood
Another happy mule
Rickshaw
Inside the palace

Hard working fellows
Looking to see which palace she would like to live in, if they had indoor plumbing
One of the wives of Abkar
The King
I love Elephants

Details abound
The shoe minder
Inside the tomb
Music in the squareLots of activity Mother of Pearl
Sophia and Bobby showing respect
The red threads are individual prayers.


Paying my respect with an unfashionable plastic head covering

The tomb.
Hornets guard the Mosque entrance
Guarding the door
My new friend and protector

Yes, this is real
Rich or poor, city or country - the clothes are so colorful.
The girls from the orphanage.

Fatehpur Sikri (FS) about 45 Km from Agra. It was once the capital of India but a shortage of water caused the palace and the city to close down. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatehpur_Sikri The capital moved (several times) but the place still stands and the surrounding area is very vibrant. We had a very enjoyable ride to and from FS as well as a tour of the palace and adjoining mosque. I think it is a "must see" if you ever get to Agra.

The ride to and from FS alone would justify the trip there in my opinion. Starting in Agra, traversing through many neighborhoods, crossing the train tracks and heading into the countryside, passing a few small villages and ultimately pulling into the Fatehpur Sikri area was a sensory extravaganza. We started to count the different types of animals we saw on and off the roads. The list included cows, oxen, water buffalo, goats, pigs, dogs, cats, monkeys, horses, donkeys, chickens, sheep and camels. Some were working pulling carts and things while others were wandering around, sleeping, looking for food , others far off in fields and still others in peoples yards. We also saw vehicles of all shapes and sizes - cars, trucks, scooters, trishaws with motors, pedal rickshaws, tractors, these weird hybrid things that looked like old trucks but were powered by gas generators, motorcycles, buses, trains, horse, donkey and camel carts and more. People were working hauling things like animal feed, junk, tires and milk. The houses and shops varied from decent and solid to places that looked like they would fall to pieces if there was even a slight breeze. Little three sided roadside shanties where a barber was giving someone a shave or a haircut. Kids playing cricket in a dusty field. Other kids were poking a dog or running in the yard. Men were sitting in front of shops smoking, drinking tea and talking. Whenever we slowed or stopped we drew stares from the locals. Kids would come up to the window and smile and wave. It was a fun ride.

Once in FS (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/255) we again took a trishaw from the outskirts to the gate of the old walled city. Bobby again negotiated a nice 100 Rupee deal for us. The walled city contained a palace reminiscent of the Forbidden City in Beijing. There were lovely buildings with exquisite craftsmanship, pools, bridges, towers and various living areas. King Abkar had a palace their for each of his wives. One was Muslim, one Hindu and one Christian. Each was done in a different style. Amazingly beautiful stuff. There was a huge deep pool on one side with what looked like a few feet of gross, brackish water and some local guys where trying to get tourists to give them money to jump in a la Acapulco cliff diving. As interested as I was in seeing this, I decided not to encourage their behaviour (OK, Sophia wouldn't let me). They could get hurt or worse yet get a mouth full of the nasty water.

There was also a famous mosque nearby and we paid a visit. The entrance to the monumentally large building was guarded by some huge hornet's nests. We checked our shoes with a shoe minder (we were getting to be old hat at that by then). Another great historic site to see.

Sophia and I had decided that rather then try to help every beggar who approached us in the car or on the street (there were so many), we wanted to give something to the community. We asked Bobby if there were any oprhanages or other good causes. He said we could stop at the home, run by the nuns of Mother Theresa's order. http://www.soulfultributes.org/spiritual_figures/mother_teresa/biographyOn the way back to Agra we stopped and picked up a few bags of candy. We pulled into the orphanage and while it was clean and well kept up it was still a heartbreaking site. Dorm rooms housed kids of different ages. The first room had 2-4 year olds. It was mid afternoon and most of the kids were lounging in their beds, bundled up against the cold. Some were happy to see us and happy to get some candy. Others were pretty quiet and disinterested. In the room housing the very young infants we again saw about 30 plus little kids in cribs. The head nun told us that some lost their parents, some where put there by a single parent unable to give proper care and others were just dropped off at the front gate in the night. A few babies were sick with TB or meningitis. It was a sad scene.

The young kids were cared for by older kids, mostly girls, who had grown up at the home.

We made a cash contribution. Hopefully it will make a small difference.

The ride home was another visual spectacle. We had a very average late lunch at a touristy place but I did manage to see real snake charmer and was happy to pay a few Rupees to have him put his big python around my neck.

A special salute to our man Bobby. It was New Year's Eve and we did not want to go to a hotel party or a restaurant. We just wanted to lay low and have some champagne. After a futile search turned up only Indian Champagne (maybe it was good, but I highly doubt it), Bobby made a few calls. He turned up at the hotel with a nice bottle of Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc. He tracked it down from a teetotaler friend who had received it as a gift. While it was hard to believe a decent wine, let alone a good California wine, could be found in Agra, Bobby made it happen and as much as we insisted on paying for it he insisted on making it his New Year gift to us. We watched TV, drank the wine and had a nice New Years Eve.

We hope to get back to Agra again someday, maybe even for Bobby's wedding which may occur sometime next year.