Yesterday I learned tha my sure-fire jetlag cure also works for culture shock!
Our hostel is pretty basic, small room, platform bed, but we have our own bathroom, and it is pretty clean (no neferious scurrying when you turn the bathroom light on at night) and very quiet. This is because we are on a back alley off a back street. as we walk out into Bangkok the noise and chaos increases exponentially with each turn.
The main road we get to is Sukhumvit, 4 lanes of traffic on 3 lanes of roadway, skytrain line overhead and sidwalkes covered with street vendors. Some of the things we have seen street vendors selling so far:
-food
-clothes
-vitamins
-pharmacutecals
-jewlery (gold, silver, brass, zinc, plastic)
-gemstones (actual value unknown)
-hand lenses (for evaluating value of genstones?)
-glasses (sun or perscription)
-scopes and binoculars
-crossbows
-knives (pen, flick, hunting, and crocodile dundee style)
-dentures
-dentistry
-pictures of the king (various sizes and ages)
-buddahs (various sizes and materials)
-elephant snacks.
Our hostel is pretty basic, small room, platform bed, but we have our own bathroom, and it is pretty clean (no neferious scurrying when you turn the bathroom light on at night) and very quiet. This is because we are on a back alley off a back street. as we walk out into Bangkok the noise and chaos increases exponentially with each turn.
The main road we get to is Sukhumvit, 4 lanes of traffic on 3 lanes of roadway, skytrain line overhead and sidwalkes covered with street vendors. Some of the things we have seen street vendors selling so far:
-food
-clothes
-vitamins
-pharmacutecals
-jewlery (gold, silver, brass, zinc, plastic)
-gemstones (actual value unknown)
-hand lenses (for evaluating value of genstones?)
-glasses (sun or perscription)
-scopes and binoculars
-crossbows
-knives (pen, flick, hunting, and crocodile dundee style)
-dentures
-dentistry
-pictures of the king (various sizes and ages)
-buddahs (various sizes and materials)
-elephant snacks.
So, basically, WalMart.
We used the sytrain to get to the river, then a boat to get upriver to old downtown Bangkok, to the Grand Palace.
The palace is a city block of various temples, palaces, residences, and government offices. The king official residence is here, as are the ashes of many of his relatives, building dedicated to various official functions (coronations, funerals, all-night raves with visting royalty, etc). About 505 of all surfacesa re covered with gold leaf. The rest split beterrn cut stone, jewels, and intricately handpainted murals.
According to out tour guide "babble babble babble fiefe houndred babble babble". Pretty impressive.
Off to the market today, tig loved her loaner sarong, and the Great March look is appealing to her, so looks like we are shopping.
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