泰國 / New Year Vacation, 1/2

(Click on photos to enlarge)

Loading up on Yoshinoya before our 20+ hour trip to Thailand...















Waiting to get our passports stamped at Bangkok International Airport.







Our hotel room at Holiday Inn Silom. Even though I'd made a reservation before leaving, they still made me wait an hour to get my room. Not a good way to begin a vacation.







View of Chao Praya River from Central Pier. Even though it's only two blocks from my hotel, but walking there on non-existent sidewalks and 90+ degree heat in rush hour Bangkok traffic is a whole new experience.





On the commuter boat.








A passing water taxi and Wat Kanlaya in the background.








Our stop, Tha Chang pier.








The ubiquitous tuk-tuk.






Inside the Grand Palace.




































































































A block down the street from The Grand Palace is the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho). The temple housing the buddha was obviously built around it as an after-thought, because there's barely enough room for worshipers to walk around, and isn't as intricately decorated as buildings in The Grand Palace.






















Across the river from the Reclining Buddha is Wat Arun. Supposedly it's stunning to behold at sunrise and sunset, but I couldn't afford to wait for the perfect time to take my pictures...




























Shot from the backseat of a tuk-tuk.





Traffic jam in Bangkok is commonplace. This was taken at 11:00pm and the street was still packed.










On our way to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Interestingly, our tour group wasn't bussed in from the street. We all crammed into a speed boat and navigated through a maze of canals to our destination.



















At last, the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market...











































... and then on to the Rose Garden to see elephants!!





























Our arduous trip on the previous day kind of wore us out and made us leery of local tour operators, so we passed on an Ayuthaya trip and checked out downtown Bangkok itself. We started the day with a visit to Jim Thompson's house via BTS SkyTrain.





































This little boy was so cute & cuddly that all the tour guides (young women) hugged him and played with him, and we're no exception.







After a quick lunch at the Siam Discovery Center, we hit the brand new and upscale Siam Paragon located across the plaza.














Where's Alice?







An upscale supermarket on the first floor of Siam Paragon.


























Had to take a picture of this.







We found this Japanese restaurant in the food court. Apparently it's a restaurant chain that has 30 locations all over Bangkok, and it seems like a local favorite because you pay next to nothing for some very good food.













Erawan shrine. People streamed in and out of this place nonstop during the 45 minutes we were there. It's a very popular spot in Thailand because wishes made here have a high probability of coming true...

























... and when your wish does come true, you must come back and repay the favor...










... by asking these performers to sing & dance to the Brahma (for a fee of course).