We stayed almost 3 days in the bustling, seedy Thai capital. It was dirtier than we remember it being 10 years ago. It rained on and off for the 3 days and after a days walking our feet were black. I guess that’s the reason why everyone wears easy to clean flip-flops. The highlight for the kids were the infamous tuk-tuk rides, causing arguments each time to decide whose turn it was to sit at the front for the biggest thrill!
We chose to visit the Wat Pho temple… « wat pho? » I hear you ask! For its enormous and really impressive, golden statue of Buddha « reclining ». We also chose to go on an extortionate river boat ride down the terribly polluted river which runs through Bangkok.
After the temples, we headed back past the kings palace. Everyone was dressed all in black and there were guards everywhere. We knew from way back in France that their King had died not long before and the taxi driver had explained to us that people dressed in this way were mourning someone. That the King was a figure of upmost worship and admiration in Thailand was really apparent here. There were posters of him everywhere. When we asked who was going to take on the new throne, they said « his son, but I can’t remember his name ».
THE NEW KING
A couple of streets nearby were cordoned off and to our delight stalls were handing out free noodles and drinking water to everyone who passed by! Ruben has become a noodle fiend ever since!
Suddenly just as we were walking past the palace door, a guard shouted to everyone to sit on the floor (not kneel, sit!) and there was a great moment of suspense. What was going on? Were we going to see the new King? Everyone was whispering and looking at the large palace gates in anticipation. Then…at last…out came a large car with tinted windows and it just drove straight past us. All the locals bowed down in front of it. All the tourists followed the car as it drove by (like the ball in a tennis match) to try and catch a glimpse of who was inside, but we can only guess that it was their new King…or was it just the tea boy? who knows. In any case, the commotion was over in a flash and everyone went about their business.
The first 3 days were exhausting because we were quite hard hit by the jet lag, waking up in the middle of the night, ready to run a marathon and not being able to get back to sleep until 5 minutes before the alarm. Starting a schooling rhythm for Alana was a challenge, but we managed it nonetheless, each morning at the table provided in the backstreet hotel we’d booked prior to arriving.
The kids eyes were full of excitement these first few days, realising that it was nothing like what they’d imagined it to be like. People's faces, the food (people weren’t eating snakes and scorpions), the other kids, the different, tropical trees and birds… They saw their first temples and learned that there were lots of different religions in Thailand. They also got a first glance of poverty, riding down the river and looking at the huts on the banks.
We definitely made the most of the time we had in Bangkok despite the jet lag, but it was time to move on and discover Vietnam.
En route for Ho Chi Minh!!