Maggie and I woke up early Thursday morning to make some final packing adjustments and head to the airport. We opted to take the train to JFK to avoid commuter traffic. Security lines were short, so we found ourselves at our gate with plenty of time to spare before takeoff and headed to the lounge for some preflight champagne. The downtime was welcome, as we knew we had a long trip ahead of us.
After 20 hours of flying and a layover in Tokyo, Maggie and I finally arrived in Bangkok. We landed at 11pm Friday local time, with a 12 hour time zone change. It was almost midnight by the time we arrived at our hotel, but we were both too excited to go to sleep. We stopped by the hotel bar to plan the next day over some Chang beers.
We left our hotel early to head to the city center. Our first stop was Wat Arun, a temple known for its scenic city vistas. Unfortunately, the temple was under repair, rendering its breathtaking views of Bangkok inaccessible. We rerouted to the Grand Palace, the historical and ceremonial residence of the King of Thailand, which was both opulent and magnificent.
Leaving the palace, we were swamped by other tourists arriving at the historical site (we were relieved to have arrived early). We slipped onto a side road to escape the chaos, only to find ourselves in a different kind of crowd: a university graduation. Newly minted alums of the city school posed with parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents to celebrate the occasion. It was quite the sight!
When we finally broke free, we flagged a taxi to take us to a floating market just outside the city for lunch (Khlong Lat Mayom). We were pleased to find the market filled almost entirely with locals, securing the authenticity of the experience. Scores of vendors had set up stalls to sell their farmed vegetables, freshly caught fish, and made-to-order lunches. I opted for a regional favorite seafood pancake, while Maggie found some delicious chicken satay.
Back in the city, we dropped by our hotel to pick up our bags. Our stay in Bangkok would be a quick but memorable one, as we were boarding a train to Chiang Mai that night.
-Two for Takeoff
Great stuff Patrick, the impromptu graduation and floating market lunch sounded wonderful and now the overnight train to Chiang Mai – I think you will love the culture of the city of Chiang Mai – enjoy. Love you guys, Mike
The last time I saw you in Chiang Mai was on an elephant…..his name was Tiny ….maybe he is still there…. you know they live a long time!!!!! Love your blog, please post some pictures of you and Boo on top of Tiny. Give Ian a big hug n’ kiss from us. I remember all the floating boats with produce on the river and all I could think about is what if one us fell in that “lovely” water….OMG !!!! It hasn’t changed much, but I really thought the country was so unique and loved Chiang MAI … have a glorious time !!! Love you all, A Ju-Ju and U. Dipper
Love the posts guys!!! So glad you are having blast.