What an experience! I was surprised that I loved the warm, humid weather. Your'e dripping sweat anytime your out day or night. But my skin loved it, and my hangnails disapeared. We saw some Thunder showers that were incredible. Splendid Lightening shows and sudden downpours that sent everyone running and turned footpaths and streets into rivers.
Here is a photo of shoes. Everyone must take off shoes to enter a Buddhist temple. Most homes are the same.
We saw the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho. The real one is giant size. This is a small replica. I said many a prayer to Buddha.
We really enjoyed a couple boat trips up the main river in Bangkok. Even got to help rescue a man who was overboard in the river. (although to our surprise he jumped back in?)The infamous "tuk-tuk's" are everywhere.
Everyone ride motorcycles in Thailand. This guy has his food vendor cart attached.
We took a trip to Koh Samet. Quite an adventure to get there. Had to walk out the shakiest pier I've every seen, throw luggage ahead and jump into funky boats. After our boat ride, here we are riding in a back of a truck to get to Hotel row.
We rented a bungalow on the beach. This is our porch. Rather primitive. no hot water! Oh, and the shower was in the toilet. RV style. I also used my first "hole in the ground " toilet while in Thailand. Note to self: remember to bring your own toilet paper.
We also visited Koh Samuii. On our bus ride to the airport we passed this tourist bus that had crashed just hours before. The driver fell asleep, 10 passengers killed. Made me very leery of our bus trips we took. Found myself checking for alertness.
Out for a walk on Koh Samuii. A tropical paradise. I decided that tropical islands are the place for me.
Uncle Bob McGuire and his girlfriend Aung. She is a chef at a restaurant in Bangkok and really a sweet lady.
Koh Samuii. One of many "big Buddhas" we visited.
The grand palace, Bangkok. Overrated. We actually enjoyed the smaller wats visited. The best part was a textile museum providing history of the silk industry in Thailand.
EVERYONE rides motorbikes in Thailand. Here is a family of 5 I caught. The helmets are unusual. The only riders required to wear a helmet are the motorcyle taxi drivers. You usually see no one else wearing one.
The meal of shame. We sought out a Burger King. At home I LOVE Thai food. I thought I was an adventurous eater.....I found out I'm not. I was so grossed out by the smell of Bangkok I could hardly eat the first couple days. Jessica and I kept trying to sample local food throughout our visit. WE TRIED! It was awful. Everything tasted wierd. If you ordered seafood you got whole squids, tenticals, fish with eyeballs looking at you, crab with the shell all chopped up in it. The Thai versions of western food were very interesting. The good news is I think I lost 5 pounds just from sweating and hating the food.
Another shot on the river. You have to watch yourself in Thailand. Everything is not so safe and regulated like it is here in USA. Jessica came within 6 inches of having her entire upper body crushed between two boats at the dock, except that I was watching and pulled her away from the side.
