Days in Bangkok

There is a convergence of time and culture that is unmistakable as you walk down the streets of Bangkok. Nine lanes of traffic all stopping as one old woman pushes her rickshaw across the street. Men selling lotto tickets right next to a Buddhist temple where people are praying. Ornate temples surrounded by alleyways where old men and women are selling everything from food to toiletries on a card table. The weather is dynamic. I walk with my umbrella open to shade me from the hot sun and suddenly I am ready for the deluge of rain that comes everyday at 3:00. It  stimulates all of our senses and we are taking it all in.

We meander through the sites one is to see while in Bangkok. Temples, monuments, the Grand Palace, the river and canals, their history all on display in the middle of town. We take a tuk-tuk to see the area from the back seat as our driver whisks in and out of traffic. We hired a local woman named Anne who gave us an in-depth history and some insights into the Thai people and their culture as she escorts us to a variety of places. It was fascinating to learn more about their daily lives.

Part of the beauty here are the unexpected moments when we stop doing the tourist things. When the 3:00 rainstorm hit yesterday it was significant. We could no longer walk home in it and a taxi or tuk-tuk could not be found anywhere. We ducked into a monastery and sat with locals to wait out the storm. Here we had delightful conversations and drank warm coffee and learned more about the people and their outlook on life. We learned of a little boy who was probably around six or seven whose parents had been killed. His only family were the people in this monastery and they all came together to care for him. It is a shared responsibility by this small group of monks and everyone pitched in. He was clean and well fed and very playful. He is lovingly referred to as monkey because he is a rambunctious boy. There was a monk sitting on a small platform and people would walk up and talk to him. I was curious about the role of the monk in the Buddhist religion so I asked about this also.  I was told that sometimes people come to ask for blessings and favor for their everyday needs. Sometimes for things such as happiness and other times  for  specific things such as provision for their families. It was good to sit and talk and we learned so much.

We sat for an hour or so before the storm finally  let up and then were able to walk home in knee deep water. Yes, I said knee deep! I think our total California rainfall happened in an hour and fifteen minutes. We made it home and had a cold beer, some warm peanuts and a dip in our swimming pool.

It was a lovely day…looking forward to what tomorrow brings.