So close, yet so far! Bangkok is a three hour flight from Delhi, yet a culture shock is almost inevitable after spending 1.5 months in India! The first thing that struck me was how quiet and organised everything is. I had to wait in line for immigration, the queues were orderly and everybody was waiting their turn quietly and patiently - so different from India!
I started chatting to another backpacker and we made our way to Khao San Road (the backpacke area of Bangkok), together. Though Bangkok is also a crowded city, it seems that the people are much calmer and more patient, so that there is a friendly, laid back feel to the busy-ness. I very quickly understood why so many people keep coming back to Thailand. There is a very welcoming, laid back feel to the country (or at least Bangkok). If this can even be felt in Khao San Road, where all that is done is party, then I can only imagine what it will be like in the rest of Thailand.
Anyway, we found a hostel pretty quickly, with the intention of checking-out the next day to find something better. Well that did not happen... the nightlife and Bangkok just took over! So yea, the next day was spent in recovery mode and it was only around 3 or 4 pm before we made it out the front door.
Wat Pho
To fulfil at least a part of the sightseeing programme, we decided to go to Wat Pho, the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok. It contains a huge collection of Buddhas and has the biggest reclining Buddha in the country (46 metres long and 15 metres high!). We walked from Khao San Road so we saw a bit more of old Bangkok than Khao San. There are lots of little streets and many street food stalls. The people are all very friendly and helpful.
I was surprised at one point when I had walked out onto a little road and was waiting there and a car turned to go down that road, the driver just stopped and patiently waited for me to notice him. I was really shocked that he hadn't just run me over or honked or revved his engine or any of the multiple things he could do to get my attention. I made some apologetic movements and he just smiled and went on his way. This for me was such a shock, especially after India, where I would have been run over for sure!
We happened to be at the temple at the time when the Buddhist monks went to pray, so we were able to sit in the temple and participate in/observe a prayer. The monks kneel on a platform facing the large statue of Buddha at the front of the room and chant prayers, with one of them taking the lead. All non-monks attending the prayer kneel on the ground (lower than the platform), facing Buddha. Somehow the chanting was very soothing and I could see myself just sitting there for hours listening to this and possbily falling asleep to the sound.
After about 20 minutes we left and went to see the reclining Buddha a massive figure made out of plaster covered in gold leaf; the feet are inlaid with mother-of-pearl designs. 
After a few days of stomach cramps, I decided to see the doctor since my stomach is usually not a problematic one. After a quick consultation, it turned out that I had worms in my stomach - yummy (he even showed them to me under a microscope)! Anyway, since I had realised that something was wrong quite quickly, the treatment was just some medicines and antibiotics for a few days. Unfortunately, these medicines do not permit the consumption of alcohol - now this did not go down too well - and also make you tired and lethargic (the last thing you want to be when discovering a new place)! In any case, due to these wonderful friends of mine, I spent the rest of my time in Bangkok just hanging out near the hotel and resting before taking my flight to Kuala Lumpur.
No comments:
Post a Comment