Thailand

What  beautiful country. On Friday, I woke up and walked around the streets and markets. I tried these amazing coconut pudding wafers. Outside they were crispy, but the inside was warm and gooey. They were filled with sweet corn and green onions. They were so rich, I could only finish a handful. 

Afterwards, I went for a walk and settled at the park near the river. I had my book, Little Bee. It was the perfect setting for reading. The sun was hot, but there was a warm breeze. There was a calmness despite the number of people at the park. After reading for some time, I went to eat at this little street cart in the alley by our guesthouse. Anastasia was passing by just before I ordered so she joined me. I have been talking to Anastasia for months via Facebook. Although I know she's from England, I was very surprised when we met. She has such a thick accent! Isabel on the other hand is from Nashville, and she does not have an accent. In my mind I had created them differently, but they are equally pleasant. The evening was good; we ate at the same street cart :)

Even Ronald does the Y

Anastasia and Isabel getting a fish pedi

It reads. "Superman sleeps. The Super Police hasn't yet. Never did and never will."

Here's a bit from my journal I began writing on Sunday...I'm sitting on a train heading north to Phitsanulok. From there we are taking an hour van ride to Sukhothai. The rest of our evening will be mellow. Yesterday we whizzed around Bangkok. First we took a river ferry to one of the oldest wats. The ferry was quite interesting. They hardly pull up to the dock to allow passengers to enter and exit. They're completely overcrowded, but they were nice. I enjoyed cruising up and down the river. The wat we visited was breathtaking. It was large and elaborate. Each part of the wat was ornate and glistening in the sun. This was is also home to one of the largest Buddhas. He is laying down in a position of death towards enlightenment. I did not expect it to be quite as large as it actually was. (I promise there will be pictures soon). The beauty of the Buddha is not to go unmentioned. It was gold and lengthy. Although the structure was simple, the details were not. The Buddha had fingernails and henna like designs on the feet.
The Buddhists believe in karma and doing good deeds. In this temple we were able to place coins in buckets that lined one of the walls. After leaving the wat, we continued downtown. We passed many slums along the river, but they were characteristically beautiful. Slowly the slums turned into lush gardens and luxury hotels. Probably foreign owned and operated. On our trip, we stay at locally owned guesthouses and support the local community as much as possible. When we arrived downtown, we took the sky train to the mall. It was the most beautiful mall I have ever seen. Even the decor outside was artistic. The inside was modern and sleek. I felt as if I was at one of the 5-star hotels. Here we grabbed a quick bite to eat before walking over to Jim Thompson's house. Mr Thompson was famous for bringing Thai silk to the global market. We toured his house which had Thai architecture with a Western flair. This too was beautiful. He was born in the year of the Dragon; those born this year are believed to live to 61, and he mysteriously disappeared in Malaysia at the age of 61. Food for thought.
We continued our day by taking the canal boat to another wat. The canal boat was jam packed and uses a simple pulley system to raise and lower a tarp. The tarp is used to keep water from splashing onto passengers. Another experience! At this wat, we climbed to the top where there was a perfect view of Bangkok. Although it was pretty, it did not compare to the beauty of the actual streets. There were people praying and tourists banging on the gong, myself included. (I have a video which will also be posted). We packed into Tuk Tuks and headed back to the guest house. They drive like crazy and lines in the road are suggestive.
Later in the afternoon we got Thai Massages. I was a bit fearful for the positions they might force my body into, but it was amazing. Every time I was on the verge of falling asleep the lady would ask me to roll over. Probably for the better because I would have started snoring. After our massages, a few of us walked around Khao San Rd and purchased a few last minute extras. Not shopping has been extremely painful. Everything is so beautiful and cheap!!! I love the streets of Bangkok. They're full of life and beauty. There's a scent of fresh food being cut and prepared, incense and the occasional rotting fish which I don't mind in small doses. The people are beautiful, and I've absolutely fallen in love with them. They have so much energy, and their eyes have many stories to share. The litter and graffiti in the city are masked by the beauty of the people and the food. We just saw monkeys!! Sorry, a bit side tracked:)
Anyways, our whole group went out to dinner on Saturday night. It wasn't organized; we just wanted to be together. A few of us grabbed a drink at Gypsy's Lips afterwards (see pictures below). The concept is absolutely brilliant. The truck is permanently parked, and the sides unfold to be a bar. Inside the vehicle are an assortment of alcoholic beverages. The speaker system is great, and the decor is savvy. There are plastic stools to sit on and wooden stools to put your drinks on. The "tables" are decorated with dead flowers and unlit candles. I love it! It's simplistic yet rustically charming. This is a great place to enjoy a beer. Next door, or the next cart over if I may, is a rave bar. There are literally black light pictures filling the walls and black lights lighting up words and pictures. The house music spills over to the other street vendors.
In Thailand, the streets are lined with Barbie like dollhouses. They look like shrines, but they are spirit houses. They are miniature houses for dead spirits. If the spirits do not have a place of their own, they will haunt buildings. It's a resting place for ancestors.  I have to get going. Here are a few pictures. 

Typical Street Cafe



Lunch!

Bridge on the River

Anastasia and I enjoying a Leo

This bar is literally a truck. It's absolutely brilliant

They decorate with dead flowers and unlit candles. Cost efficient and low maintenance!

Cooling down at a public pool playing some Frisbee

Some of the girls kicking back

Our bikes we were about to ride at the World Heritage Site. Many ruins to be enjoyed :)