Bangkok: Wat Pho, Grand Palace, Wat Arun

Bangkok: Wat Pho, Grand Palace, Wat Arun

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Not a city girl so only 1 day in Bangkok before I take off for the mountains of Chang Mai. My day’s agenda in Bangkok is Wat Pho, The Grand Palace and Wat Arun. After a not so refreshing 5 hours of sleep and a buffet breakfast at my hotel, I hit pavement for the 5k stroll to Wat Pho.

While walking provides great perspective of the area, I quickly learned that it does not provide the best experience here.

Impressions:

It’s SWELTERING here! 96 degrees plus “big league” humidity. (The pool at my hotel is bath temperature.)

The sidewalks are crowded minefields of obstacles, uneven pavement and unpredictable curb heights. Must be very alert, which is tough when you’re sleep deprived. The air quality is poor  – heavy with vehicle exhaust, industrial and cooking fumes.

It was fascinating to be up with the locals, getting a glimpse into their morning routines as they opened up their storefronts, walked to school in their blue skirts and pigtails, or to their jobs in various work attire. (Strange, just realized schoolgirls present, but no school boys.) There are thin feral cats running amok, experts at dodging the traffic and darting here and there.

shop
A typical storefront and living quarters as well…

Wat Pho is one of the oldest, largest temples in Bangkok and also one of the most significant temples. Best known for its 51 yard long Reclining Buddha which is composed of a brick core, plaster covering and gold leaf finish. The buildings are spectacular as well with their ornate, detail of typical Thai temple architecture.

 

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Having read all about the various tourist scams in Thailand, I wasn’t entirely surprised when a helpful, friendly Thai man struck up a convo and told my travel buddy and I that the palace wouldn’t be open until 1:30 PM due to Songkran, the New Year Holiday underway and a special Buddhist ceremony. It seemed plausible though. It was a holiday. He took out a map and described other attractions where his friend could take us instead. (Typical scenario where a tourist gets hijacked and financially extorted for the day.) There were many religious groups dressed in black around, which supported his story and he had no trouble looking us in the eyes as he pitched us. The palace compound is surrounded by a high wall  so it’s difficult to ascertain what is going on unless you walk around the perimeter, which we did. Guess what? It was open. So we dodged our first scam bullet.  The Grand Palace was a bit of a mob scene. Too hot and crowded for this semi-agoraphobic so I made a quick escape and headed for Wat Arun instead.

 

Next we picked up a Chao Phraya Tourist Boat Day Pass and headed to Wat Arun. As reported by others, the Tourist Boat is a great way to see the area. It’s only about $5 and you can hop on and hop off as many as 13 stops in different districts. Plus you get a little breeze on the boat. Tip: The boat runs every half hour, but you must stand on the dock and wave it in if it is not dropping passengers. Lesson learned. (They don’t mention it when you buy your ticket.

The iconic Khmer style tower of Wat Arun (temple of dawn)was under construction, but it was still worth a stop as you can see. The 76 meters high tower is decorated by thousands of tiny seashells and porcelain, I’ve added some pics from the boat ride and various other stops, including the a flower market. i don’t think it’s the famous one (Pak Klong Tald), but it was spectacular in it’s own right.

 

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After 6 hours of walking around on 5 hours a sleep, I saluted the day with an early margie. Returned to the hotel, solved some tech issues with the blog and got a quick gym workout in. (Bike & some weight.) With plans to bike and trek in Chang Mai, I need to make sure I can workout in these conditions. The gym was minimally air conditioned at best so it simulated real conditions…

Thailand here I come! First 5 impressions.

Thailand here I come! First 5 impressions.

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I took to the skies Sunday. Underestimated the impact of the construction induced traffic at LAX – brutal. Ken had the clever idea of dropping me at international arrivals instead of departures. It gave me a head start which I needed since I discovered shortly after that United international flights are through their Terminal 7. Has to hustle with my backpack 4 terminals. Luckily, I got the weight down to 15 lbs.

Smooth sailing through security and I made it. Boarded the 787 Dreamliner headed for Bangkok by way of Tokyo.. Roomy plane, lots of headroom, mood lighting economy plus bulkhead seat not bad for the first 12 hours. The additional 6 to Bangkok made this semi-claustrophobic a bit antsy (understatement). Of course, I’d already been up over 24 hours so sleep deprivation factored in too…When are they going to put spin bikes on these things?Dreamliner

Impression 1: All Nippon stewardness – Extremely considerate and attentive Asian porcelain dolls who never stop smiling. They are genuinely interested in helping you. At one point, a stewardness noticed I was getting sun glare from the windows of a couple other passengers. Without me saying a word, she took care of it. And when I say “never stop smiling”,  I mean genuinely smiling for 6 hours straight! Good foreshadowing for the land of smiles. (This in stark contrast to the United American staffed flight from LAX to Tokyo. Should have taken their picture for you.

Impression 2:  So not having slept yet, I was a bit delirious when I ordered my entre. Seafood –on a plane, what was I thinking? Wasn’t really hungry, maybe I’d just inspect it…Guess, what? It was great! Sweet shrimp, crab morsels, a robust round clam thing, mushrooms, squid and some porous veggie.

seafood on plane

Impression 3:  Speaking of considerate, an elderly gentlemen helped me get my bags out of the overhead when we landed. (I wasn’t struggling or looking for help, he simply lent a considerate hand.)

Impression 4: Admist the sea of people in the bustling airport, I noticed a conscientious Thai youth go out of his way to pick up an empty chip bag that was in the middle of the concourse. (Not his.) Wow and bravo.

Impression 5: OUCH!

This is the raised room divider between the bathroom and the bedroom of my hotel room. (Apparently, it’s very common in Asia to have this height anomaly. This is my bruised toe after several run-ins due to sleep deprivation and related cognitive incapacity.

 

Cheers to “Alcoholic Pass” Hike, Anza Borrego, CA

Cheers to “Alcoholic Pass” Hike, Anza Borrego, CA

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Scenery: Desert delight

Distance: You decide – up to 4.8 miles out & back

Difficulty: Moderate

This lovely little hike, was especially magical during the current wildflower super bloom. It entails some switch backs and a moderate climb (approximately 833 feet in .8 mile.) You can sign in at the top and keep going down the other side or turn around.

It was near the top when I captured a video of a bird greeting me with its morning song.

I’ve never experienced the desert quite like this – the morning light waking the shadows on the rocky ridges, the citrus wildflower breeze – oh my! Wish I’d camped at the top, it would have been fantastic to wake up to breathtaking solitude. Instead, I was running around getting wildflower pictures at dawn. (Post to come.)

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Local lore

The Cahuilla Indians originally used this route as a short cut between Coyote Canyon and Clark Valley. Subsequently early settlers also used the trail to cut off the 6 miles it takes to go around Coyote Mountain to get to Clark Valley. Some say it might have gotten it’s name from the drinking habits of the cattlemen and settlers who frequented Borrego Springs’ “watering” holes. Other say it’s just the winding trail that gives it it’s name. All this talk and typing is making me thirsty for a quenching margie and I know just the spot – the Ram’s Head Bar and Grill. (Post to come,)

Getting there: From Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs, drive east on Hwy S-22 and turn left (north) on DiGiorgio Road toward Coyote Canyon. You find the trailhead on the right, 2.4 miles past the paved road on an easily traversed dirt road. Desert Garden is just past Alcoholic’s Pass, you  can take an easy stroll in a concentrated area of cactus and other native plant life if you’re short on time or prefer not to hike up Alcoholic Pass.

Nature Meditation: “Ocotillo forest”, Anza Borrego, CA

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The hike up “Alcoholic’s Pass” begins here in what I’m calling an octillo forest. Ah, the sweet breeze, sprinkles of wildflowers, waving ocotillo, vast mountain vistas and morning light…Truly a magical desert experience – perhaps my most memorable yet. Perhaps even better than the superbloom areas with their boastful beauty. You had to be there. I’ll post more video so you can get a better feel for it in the Alcoholic Pass hike post to come.