Bangkok -- The BIG City

Hey Everyone, things are a little slower on this blog then I had hoped but I am finally getting around to getting this post up.  I'll try to update in a more timely manner in the future.  I love and miss you all deeply.

Bangkok

Bangkok is a seriously nuts city full of all the aspects of a huge mega city.  Packed streets at almost any hour, tons of bustle and movement, entertainment, bars, new sights and smells, beauty and ugliness.  Yet somehow it seemed void of the hidden "charm" that other mega cities, like New York or Buenos Aires have..... or maybe I just didn't find it in my 8 days there.

First, there are people EVERYWHERE.  People moving, working, waiting, scamming, selling, buying everywhere.  There didn't really seem to be any kind of organization to activities in the layout of the city.  Anywhere there were people was open game for any and every kind of interaction.  There were naturally large street market areas where people congregated in a more organized fashion but it seemed that anywhere there was more then 10 people at any given time there was also 5 people with food carts, 8 tuk tuk taxi drivers, 3 people selling Buddha medallions and a few more people selling lotto tickets and random junk.  Everywhere you went in the city this seemed to be the case, business streets downtown to crappy auto areas out on the outskirts.  I don'w know how it is all supported.  My favorite market that we went to was the orchid and general plant market that was located beside one of the many canals in the city.  Tent after tent of plants exploding out of their pots.  Tables full of twisting and turning vines and leafs that all seemed like alean life forms to me more then familiar flowers.  It seemed harder to keep these plants in a manageable state then to actually grow them.  It was fantastic.

The largest part of the Bangkok experience was definitely seeing the massive temples and palaces of the Ratkashhan district.  This was my first experience seeing Buddhist temples of this size.  They have a extreme intricacy that I dod not really expect to be honest.  Glass and jewel mosaic and inlet everywhere and gold leafing covering every surface it seemed.  I personally took the most inspiration from the all the massive stupahs that seem to spring up from the ground like a drawing from my sketch book come to life.  In one busy day we walked to Wat Pho, Wat Arun and the Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha all of which are virtually next door to each other.  It reminded me of Istanbul in that respect, standing in a great courtyard and getting an amazing 360 degree view of ancient, immaculate important historical culture.  Like Washington D.C. i suppose only far more visually stimulating.  There is just something calming and comforting about being surrounded by Buddha everywhere.  I far prefer Buddhist temples to Catholic churches.

What I enjoyed most though was my introduction into the explosion of new plant life that I think will ultimately come to define this entire trip.  The best time I spent in this city was an afternoon in Lumpini park.  A central park of sorts located in the center of the Crazy downtown area of Bangkok.  The trees, oh my lord, the trees this park had were some of the best tree displays I can ever remember seeing.  Old and mighty and extremely well kept like a Japanese rock garden from the earth.  I couldn't calm down over how perfectly picturesque they all were.  some were grouped together forming wonderful installations and some stood on their own like massive living sculptures.  I can already tell I will be going nuts over trees this entire trip.

I love you all and miss you dearly.  I am in Chiang Mai now and am having a blast.  I'll try to get this update in a more timely manner.

Tuesday brings on Vietnam!