Bangkok - a Short-Lived Visit

Front lobby of the Prınceton Park Suıtes
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My stay in Bangkok was a little short-lived.  When I finalized my itinerary, I didn't account for travel days, which usually take up at least half the day.  So when I arrived at the Princeton Park Suites, it was already close to dinner time.  So I decided that some desperately-needed rest was in order.  I wasn't feeling well either, so a reprieve from the usual hustle and bustle was fitting for my first night.

Brief plug:  I booked all my accomodations via hostelworld.com.  I was blown away by this hotel - so chic and luxurious - for the price I paid (1/3rd the list price).

My stay in Bangkok was a little short-lived. When I finalized my itinerary, I didn't account for travel days, which usually take up at least half the day.

Insıde the Wat Traımıt Royal Temple
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I decided to take advantage of a 2 hour Thai Oil massage - quite different from the Thai massage I had in Koh Samui.  Absolute heaven!  I know that as soon as I leave Asia, the spa prices will be much higher so I took advantage of spa treatments whenever I could. Plus, my back needs some massaging since both my main and mini-packs are getting heavier by the minute. Total weight 40 pounds.

For dinner, I ordered pork loin with raisin and pepper sauce.  It was one of the best meals I've had to date.  The pork literally melted in my mouth. It was that good!  The fries weren't bad either. Shortly after, I spoke with the tour counselor and we ended up taking a 10 minute cab ride to a booking facility, where I paid for a half day cultural tour of Bangkok.

Next to the largest reclınıng Buddha
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The following morning, my personal guide and driver (OOM) picked me up. Our first stop was the Wat Traimit Royal Temple, which showcases quite a few golden buddhas.  This temple proudly displays the world's largest Golden Buddha which was built in the Sukhothai era, over 700 years ago.

On our way to the next destination, we passed through Chinatown and a 24-hour flower mart.  We ended up at Wat Pho, which houses the largest reclining golden buddha.  OOM narrated and gave me historical information as we walked passed numerous architectural wonders. I tried to absorb all the data, but after 3-weeks of traveling, my short-term memory is overly-saturated.

Passıng through Bangkok`s Chınatown dıstrıct
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Our last stop was the Grand Palace - former home of Thailand's King.  The entire lot is quite expansive.  Without a guide, one can easily get lost. I was quite impressed with the library, museums (featuring royal jewelry, wardrobe, gun collection, etc.), temples, and the elaborate architecture.  Most buildings were adorned with gold-leaf foil - similar to what you would find on many Bangkok landmarks. Other buildings were fusions of different architectural styles - There was one building in particular with a colonial base coupled with a Thai-styled roof.

Insıde the Grand Palace
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OOM continued to drive past other points of interest including the Ministry of Defense and the new home of Thailand's royal family.  I would have liked to walk around other parts of Bangkok, but I knew that I couldn't last one more second in the heat.  It was unbearable at times. We had a buffet meal at one of the local piers (overlooking Bangkok's main river) and that concluded my tour.

Overall, my experience in Bangkok was vastly different from my experience at Koh Samui and Phuket.  Thailand is such a beautiful country, replete with culture and natural resources.  I highly recommend visiting all three to fully capture what this country has to offer.

Another Grand Palace shot
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Next destination: Delhi, India