Real Thai Life: Bangkok

BANGKOK
May 18 - 20 2006
Chaotic town of Bangkok brought us back to reality very quickly after the serene island life!! We spent 2 very busy days trying to absorb as much as Bangkok as possible and we did just that!! We took a superb bike tour that lead us to some unbelievable sights of Thai living. We rode thru tight alleys where locals lived in very unpleasant conditions, saw local markets, passed a kindergarten, took a fairy across the river, rode on elevated concrete paths, tried local Thai snacks, went to a glove factory, went to a temple where they have a dead monk on display in a glass case, visited the local bike shop, and attempted to ride thru the busy streets of Bangkok on a bicycle. I dont recommend biking in the midst of Bangkok trafffic! I can say that I have been there and tried that! This bike ride was absolutely the highlight of my Bangkok trip. It turned out to be a bike ride that wont easily be forgotten, it was a mind-opening experience. I just can not fathom living in such filthy, muddy, grimy conditions. Some of the living quartesrs were not much more than 3 walls of shabby used materials with some sort of creation as a roof and then many people crammed into a tiny area. The bike ride was excellent, that is all I can further state about it. If you are interested in seeing more photos from the ride, the company has placed some up on their website @ www.realasia.net On the lefthand side, find Daily Biking Pictures, then go to May 18 on the calendar, then go to the afternoon ride, scroll down once the pictures appear. You will be able to see a few more photos of the amazing ride!!

Our final day in Bangkok. Our plane leavea at 1AM, so we have the entire day to tour around. I wanted to see a few temples/wats. Something a bit spiritual, touch my soul wont you, as this trip has already been an eye opener. I had 2 items on the agenda and in between was up to Buddha. I wanted to see the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho and the Emerald Buddha at the Grand Palace in Wat Phra Kaeo. Wat Pho was lively and shambolic, a great complex with arrangements of lavish structures, even a turtle pond! This is the oldest temple in Bangkok founded in the seventeeth century. The Reclining Buddha is a 45 metre-long gilded statur of plaster covered brick which depicts the Buddha entering Nirvana. The chapel is only slightly bigger than the statue, for you cant get far enough away to take in anything but a surreal close -up view of the beaming 5 metre smile! The feet on the statue very impressive, vast black soles are beautiffully inlaid with delicate mother-of-pearl showing 108 lakshanas, auspicious signs, which distinguish the true Buddha. Along one side of the statue are 108 bowls which will bring you good luck and a long life if you put a coin in each. Of course I had to attempt my fate with good luck for I just got married, I need all the LUCK I can get! Grand Palace hangs together in a precarious harmony of strangely beautiful colours and shapes. It is the holiest Buddhist site in the country, housing the most important image, Emerald Buddha. Wat Phra Kaeo was built orginally as a private royal temple and occupies the northeast corner of the huge Grand Palace. Entering the temple is like stepping onto a lavishly detailed stage set, from the immaculate flagstones right up to the gaudy roofs. The whole temple compound is surrounded by arcaded walls, decorated with extraordinary murals of scenes from the Ramayana. Each time you proceed thru gates you are confronted by six-metre tall Yaksha, gaudy demons from the Ramayana who watch over the Emerald Buddha who ward off evil spirits. Each item you come across has some important significant role, so many to tell you about. But the important one the Emerald Buddha: the walls of the bot sparkle and inside a nine-metre high pedestal supports the tiny Buddha of 60 centimetre! The spiritual power of this jadeite image derives from it legendary past. Reputed to have been created in Sri Lanka, it was discovered when lightning cracked open an ancient chedi in Chiang Rai in the early fifteenth century. The image was moved around the north, dispensing miracles wherever it went. Then it was taken to Laos for 200 years. It was believed to bring great fortune to its possessor, so the future King Rama 1 snatched it up , and then installed it at the heart of his new capital as a talisman for king. What a way to get what you want! So much lively history spread around this massive, chaotic town, but there is truly something special about Bangkok. So much history, check it out for yourself!!

Honeymooners

SouthEast Asia
THAILAND
May 2 2006
*Flight from Copenhagen to Bangkok (loong)
*Layover in Bangkok then a flight to the island of Ko Samui (1hr)
Ko Samui:
We stayed 4 nights in Ko Samui. A very beautiful beach but it has been built up so much with tourism that it has become a huge circus. Resort after resort. You would get smoothered every where you walked, everytime you turned. Taxi's honking at you asking if you needed a ride, locals trying to sell massages, locals trying to get you to come into their store. There was not a moment of peace, it was a bit too much!! Even when we were sitting on the beach locals still coming up to you and trying to sell hot corn or icecream or pineapple.... You could not get away from it. It was a wonderful honeymooners location our resort and a great experience to try out the high priced resorts as Tom & I usually dont travel like such! We go for the bargain rooms but it is our honeymoon and we decided to go big!!

Ko Pha Ngan: May 7 - 18
Now we are on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, just north of Ko Samui. Its much more remote, we are on the northeast side of the island in a small cove called Thong nai pan. We are staying in our own private beach house with an ocean view and the sound of the ocean lapping constantly. This is much more our style! We got here from the main island by taxi boat! To get anywhere you must take a taxi boat as the roads are not very developed. We have been relaxing and eating wonderful Thai food! There is great snorkelling around and plan to go out on a few trips, to nearby, undisturbed coves with coral reefs and a colorful display of marine life. We hope to rent a motorbike and explore ourselves, for there are only a handful of roads about, how can you get lost?? Also plan to do some sea kayaking, find the breathtaking waterfalls around and check out a local temple. Its a wonderful honeymoon and a wonderful country to explore.......

Now must go back to the beach...........

United Souls

The moment occured, the words I DO embraced my life forever!
The day was lovely, exquisite; my life is now complete.
I had my hair done in the AM, rushed to the Radisson, where Mom and Dad were staying, threw on the wedding clothes. Being a woman sucks, no wonder I dont get dressed up often. The silly things she must wear in order to keep her looking good! But I did it to impress my husband to be and he was dazzled, mesmorized by my beauty! Caught a taxi to Rådhusplasden (City Hall) and suddenly the nerves started to twitch, the butterflys began to tumble.......
I looked around did not see any one that I recognized, Tom said he would met us downstairs, I could not find him. A few other brides were outside surrounded by supporters. Where was my new family to be??? Then a familiar face emerged from the crowd, Tonny. Quickly I asked him if he had seen Tom and of course he had a video camera in hand and proceeded to film not anwering my desperate questions!! Time was ticking, we had a 11:45AM appointment, they dont wait for you here! And it was 11:39 and no sign of TOM.... We went inside looked around and just more unfamiliar faces.
So now is when you start to panic, now is the time you feel the entire stress of the situation lying heavily upon your chest, wondering how did I get here? Then we decided to follow the other wedding parties, mabye they had some clue as where we are suppose to go. We followed a long coridoor, some twisty stairs, I could read the signs Bryllup Kontor (Wedding office). I could no longer make any rational decisions at this point, people were crowding around, everybody throwing out comments, asking where is Tom, where are we going, I just followed the main stream, for it seemed to be the best option! And sure enough we ended up in a large hall with chairs and there was my wonderful, handsome husband to be in 5 minutes. The moment our eyes engaged, we spoke, I knew. The excitement, thrills, exhilarations, rushes, tremors of joys knowing that you will be pronounced man and wife.
An employee came out and rambled some instruction in Danish, "please be seated and your party will be called". In the midst of the commotion, I sat patiently, confident in our promise. I quickly thought about the rays of hope, trust, faith, hopefulness that Tom has brough to my life. Everything was surreal, time became frozen, I took everything in. Then without further notice "Dinah Sherrill and Tom Christiansen" from some corner of this busy room. I jumped up looked around, Tom grabbed my hand and lead me into the room. It was rather small, with a wodden table in the middle and a woman behind it. All I remember is she read something in English, but her English was a bit rusty, love, marriage, commitment, I remember hearing those words, I stood there a bit frozen, gazing around at all the people in suport of us and of course cameras still going. Then came Tom's turn - I DO, then my turn, I DO. Then the rings, then the kiss! And suddenly we are married. We had to sign some papers afterwards, along with our witnesses. Then they looked at us and said "have a good day!".
All the buildup, all the work, all the stress and in an instant it's said and done, husband and wife!! But what a remarkable, extraordinary, superb feeling. I was floating somewhere amongst the clouds with the birds looking down upon myself. We walked towards the door stood there as everyone congratulated us (Tillykke). Then it was time to make our debut as Mr. & Mrs. Christiansen, we walked across the tile floor, opened the gigantic wooden doors, screams, rants, yells and rice everywhere. We stood in the midst of flying rice for several minutes! What a marvelous way to begin the day!!