Thailand > The Grand Palace of Bangkok

I get up at seven o’clock, and half an hour later I’m having breakfast with an omelet and croissants. Today, the Grand Palace is on the agenda. Strangely, we are the only ones from the group interested, which means a private tour with Toy. After breakfast, a man approaches with the photo taken of us at the airport. He asks for 200 Baht for the photo in a nice frame. I decline. Since Geert has already gone ahead to the hotel room, I try to put him off by first consulting with him.

Thailand - The Grand Palace

The man is clever, though, and waits for us at the hotel exit. I tell him I’m not taking the photo. In front of the hotel, we take a taxi. Toy agrees on a price (unintelligible) and we head toward the Grand Palace. Compared to yesterday, the roads are quiet. The Grand Palace is a large complex of temples and palaces, richly decorated with gold leaf. The temples look magnificent in the sunlight. We also visit the temple with a Buddha. Before entering, of course, we must remove our shoes. Toy also “dips” us with a lotus flower. Inside, we kneel in front of the jade Buddha. After walking through the palace complex for over an hour, we have a drink at a small café across the street. Although not in the original program, we then take a tuk-tuk to the Reclining Buddha. Toy agreed on a price, but the driver asks for more because he took a photo of us. Toy doesn’t fall for it. The Reclining Buddha is an impressive statue, 48 meters long and 15 meters high. Removing my shoes, I enter the temple and walk around the statue. Outside, we take a taxi to Chinatown. Chinatown is Bangkok’s commercial center, where vendors try to sell their goods. In the narrow streets, it’s hard for the taxi to move forward. When we get close and the taxi is completely stuck in traffic, we get out. The ride was actually quite cheap (61 Baht for a 10-minute taxi). We continue through small streets and alleys to the center of Chinatown, where mainly food is sold.

Thailand - A ride in the tuktuk

Toy explains what everything is and whether it’s tasty. Through the tiny streets, we head toward the Golden Buddha. This Buddha is now housed in a temple. It was once covered in cement for fear of theft. By chance, it was discovered during construction damage in Sokotoy. Offerings are made at the Buddha. Geert and I are also invited—along with our socks, of course—to offer gold leaf to the Buddha. Fortunately, the lady guides our hands to the right place, as her explanation in Thai is unintelligible. Through Chinatown, we walk to the restaurant where we’ll meet the other travelers. On the way, Toy receives a call from the taxi driver. Leo and Mary are not at the hotel. He’s been waiting with Isabelle and Petra for half an hour and is now coming to the restaurant without them. The restaurant is by the water and near the pier from which the boat will depart this afternoon. As we enter, the taxi with the two ladies arrives. The lunch buffet is extensive and delicious. After lunch, we take the water taxi north along the river. Along the way, the taxi stops at all the piers. At the final stop, we transfer to a longtail boat. The speedboat takes us quickly over the water toward the island in the river. On the island, there’s a tourist market with mainly pots and food. I walk through the market and visit the temple. The boat brings us back to the water taxi at sunset.

Thailand - The reclining Buddha in gold leaf

We then return across the river to pier 15. From there, two tuk-tuks take us back to our hotel. Along the way, the drivers race each other, taking few traffic rules seriously. We arrive safely. Leo and Mary got lost in the city and were too late for the afternoon program. Around half past seven, we walk into the city, wanting to eat somewhere near the hotel. At the hotel, we are asked if we want a tuk-tuk, but we decline. At the end of the street, the same taxi driver asks again, claiming there are no nearby restaurants. He follows us. By the fourth time he asks, it becomes quite irritating. We decide to ignore him and simply eat at the hotel. We walk past shanty houses, where a group of boys by the water offers us whisky when they hear we’re from Holland. I politely decline, not trusting the watered-down alcohol. Somewhat disappointed, we leave them behind. At the hotel on the 26th floor, I enjoy a delicious Vietnamese meal with shrimp and celery. My beer turns out to be twice the price of the food. We have one more beer by the pool on the 11th floor. When the bar closes, we go to bed.