Sunday, November 6, 2011

Thailand

Learned about Jim Thompson and his involvement in the silk trade and his mysterious disappearance!

This is the living room of his house, it was soo pretty and open!
Really fierce statue outside of Wat Pho
Beautiful gold reclining Buddha at Wat Pho in Bangkok

And here is another part of Bangkok, the giant raised walkways and subway tracks dominate the skyline

This is Bangkok - its pretty big and busy!

One of the fire throwers! They were really fun to watch

Shelley and I sending up a lit paper lantern, the heat from inside the lantern sends it floating up into the sky!
Really nice craftsman that dives for shells and then sands them into jewelry

Daw, one of the ladies that gives massages on the beach with some of the island children!

One of the beaches of Ko Samet

Thailand:

It was so strange to get on a plane and jet over to Bangkok, but it was fun! Somehow Shelley and I met up at the airport, despite the fact that it is soo massive and wholly overwhelming, especially after getting used to the pace and lifestyle of Phnom Penh.


Its always funny how traveling can involve so many modes of transportation, from the subway to a bus to the back of a pickup truck to a boat to an other truck! Gezz I’m tired about just thinking about it. Now I often get frustrated when traveling to unfamiliar places and on busses for unknown periods of time, but its all a learning experience and I made it there and back in one piece!


I enjoyed relaxing on the beaches of Ko Samet for 3 ½ days with Shelley. I enjoyed just lounging around, reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and taking dips in the ocean. One day we took a boat to some other near by island and went snorkeling! At night time we camped out at one of the many beachside bars/restaurants and watched the local islanders put on a fire twirling show!


I spent one day in Bangkok at the end of my trip, and what a change of pace it is from both the island and Phnom Penh, it is such a big city! I went and saw the Jim Thompson house – which was delightful and I just wanted to move right in, and then the giant reclining Buddha at Wat Po! I also took in the spectacle of some of the massive shopping malls they have! Their food court seemed to go on for miles!