Asia Adventure 2012: Bangkok

This morning started out with a short workout in an amazing gym.It was large and had just about all the toys you could imagine.Too bad I only had a ½ hour to spare.The attendant took care of every need, from providing towels, water, mats when needed, and offering headphones to watch television on the treadmill.

With time really marching on I headed down to breakfast first and ordered the lattes.Wanna picked us up right on time at 8am and we headed out for our tour.

The first stop was to visit to Wat Saket where we listened to the Monks chant at the convocation hall. They sit on a hard surface (morning and evening) facing the Buddha and chant, eventually learning the entire hours-long chant by heart. Some shift positions to relieve discomfort from sitting on a hard surface, while others remain still, perhaps allowing parts of their body to fall asleep.This was such a peaceful and serene experience.In another building, people were praying to Buddha and also seeking the wisdom of numbers. By shaking a can of long numbered sticks until one dropped, the individual then goes to get their number blessing. Greg shook number 11 and I shook number 6.I’m still looking for the sheets because I've already forgotten! Isn’t it terrible to forget? The Golden Mount is part of Wat Saket. There we made an offering to the Monks. This involved holding the offering of alms (a Monk’s robe and basket full of supplies) and asking for something; Greg asked for us to have a safe journey and I asked for great things for Aidan and children everywhere. The Monk gave us blessing for a healthy and safe trip. We walked up the stairs, including the last staircase which indicates that it goes to heaven.So we have been on the stairway to heaven! We enjoyed an amazing view of Bangkok from the top after walking around once in a clockwise direction. Many people were walking around and around praying.

Our second stop was at Wat Ratchabophit. We entered through the west entranceway the temple grounds where the Royal Cemetery is located, with numerous monuments to major and minor members of the Royal Family.This incredible temple had intricate hand-painted glazed tiles and gold and mirrored doorways, and built in the late 19^th century.There was a private celebration going on while we visited. We weren’t sure what was being celebrated, but the people had a large buffet table set up and were feeding the Monks.

At this point we were feeling very hot and not taking in a lot so we passed on visiting the Tiger God Shrine.Instead we went back to the hotel and cooled off in the pool.

Jonathan and Jim picked us up at 2pm when asked where we wanted to go, Greg said, back to the shopping mall.Tired of melting in the high heat, an air-conditioned shopping mall seemed a preferred option.We started by going to massive food court at the Siam Paragon mall where we shared a sticky rice/coconut milk/mango desert, then had our main course.The food court operates collectively where food cards used to make purchases at any station.All stations use the same dishes and cutlery and when finished, you cash in your food card for a refund of any amount owing.It was a very efficient system.

Then we walked through the Siam Paragon mall where wickedly innovative and elaborate live advertising transpires like a 50’s style store complete with fake packaging labelling soap, milk, etc., and tiny little shopping carts were all there for customers to play with and this was promoting a cosmetic store.There was a Volkswagen display with amazing knitted coverings and a gigantic sweater which was promoting a wool store (why would anyone need wool here?).

We walked outside for a bit to the next mall where the Thailand Ukelele festival 2012 was taking place.Wow what energy.Then on to the Siam Centre mall where we posed with Tom Cruise.Next was the Siam Discovery mall where we posed with Steven Gerrard, and on the 7^thfloor, I did some ice-skating at the Ice-Plant. Can you believe it?With this kind of heat, there is an ice-rink in Bangkok. It was fun, but I really couldn’t do much on the rental skates which were a cross between cheap Canadian Tire figure skates and hockey skates.

We backtracked our way to the first mall, Siam Paragon, where I purchased a couple of silk napkins from Jim Thompson a famous silk designer.We had dinner at the Tailing Pling restaurant in the mall before calling it a day.

As we wound our way through the mall to the parking lot, we met up with some male and female university soccer teams who had just played against each other.Isn’t it wonderful that they play in a tournament together, then go shopping together.

One interesting thing was the parking lot.To increase efficiency, drivers leave their cars in neutral when parking spaces that are situated perpendicular to the 2 rows of parked cars. So if you happen to be sandwiched between the car behind and the car parked perpendicular, then you just push the perpendicularly parked car out of the way. There are many parking attendants to assist with pushing the cars.Very efficient indeed!