Bangkok, Thailand

March 2nd and 3rd.
Bangkok is a bustling city of 19 million people who all seemed to be making street food at the same time. From fairly elaborate cooking set-ups to a small bowl with a couple of coals and a makeshift grate, you could get almost anything imaginable to eat, mostly in a skewered or ball delivery.
We enjoyed a very long day of walking and seeing much of the local culture through the street life, the shops and the apartment buildings and homes. We even delved into getting some clothing custom made (completed and delivered to the ship within 24 hours!). The surprise about that adventure was the wonderful people we met at the tailor shop including one young man who picked us up for a fitting in the afternoon; he managed to get us from the meeting point and back to the shop by using the sky train during rush hour and a tuk-tuk (see photo below). Another surprise was several young, professionally dressed women who approached us if we were studying a map saying “can I help?”. (As Caucasians, we do tend to stick out like sore thumbs.) In any case, the whole experience was a feast for both the senses and the eyes.
We have begun to have a true appreciation for this part of the world. It is such a different lifestyle than any we have ever seen. We have been lucky even to have had several guides who have been very sharing as far as what life is like for them. We have been comparing gun control, education, religion, and health care among many other topics.
This part of the trip has been quite overwhelming with one big city after another, but it is interesting to sample the flavor of each as each has such a different and rich culture.
Also, it has been a real challenge to get around Bangkok since the map and all the street signs are in Thai characters. Hmmmmm........
The first photo is a tuk-tuk amongst the motorcycles on the street.
The second photo is an outdoor street food vendor with various cauldrons of things cooking.
The third photo is a street scene in Bangkok - not easy to tell what the
signs say.Read more