Our solo adventure took us first to Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand has a population of about 70 million, and Tai people migrated from mainland Southwest China to SouthEast Asia many centuries ago. Thailand (Siam) was the only area in the Southeast to avoid colonization by foreign powers. It has a monarchy, which is evident by the pictures of the king and queen and their parents everywhere across the country. The official language is Thai, but were heard lots of English and pretty much every major sign had an English translation. Most everyone is Buddhist, which is evidenced by all the temples – hundreds upon hundreds. Thailand gets about 40 million tourists per year, so we were far from alone.
Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, with over 10 million people in the city, 14 million if you include the suburbs. It is the heart of the modernization of Siam, known today as Thailand. We chose to stay close to the river, where the major temples and the King’s palace are located, in a beautiful hotel overlooking the Wat Arun. It was hot and muggy, Monsoon season so we were able to witness some epic short rains.
We made the most of our limited time. We visited the Grand Palace (the Kings former residence), Wat Pho (home of the large reclining buddha) and Wat Arun (with its epic stature on the riverbanks, a home to people in classical dress getting tons of professional pictures). We found of ton of health conscious (even vegan) places to eat. We took at tour guide and visited the Salt Fields, Train Market, Floating Market, Coconut Farm, and a Elephant Sanctuary. We were even able to fit in a traditional Thai massage, and it was amazing. John has been struggling with a cold, so we figured out a medicine that is compatible with his current prescriptions and made our way to the pharmacy. He feels much better today.
People were very kind and proud. We met a lady who just opened a health-conscious restaurant, talking to us about taking risks and living your best life. Our tour guide told us stories of times in his life when he was a practicing monk. We met a Thai police officer on the street who was a big Joe Biden fan, given us thumbs up and elbow bumps. The energy of the city was vibrant and contagious.
The days here just flew. Lots of tourists make a trip to the north to see the lush jungles, as well as a trip to the south to see the beautiful beaches. We will have to add those to our bucket list, and there just wasn’t enough time.
And now we make our way to Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam!