Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok was once a small trading center on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River until King Rama I, the first monarch of the present Chakri dynasty, turned it into the capital of Siam in 1782. Today Bangkok is a vibrant and modern capital and Thailand's largest city, its high-rise buildings contrasting with magnificent temples and palaces, authentic canals and busy markets.
Our guide, Ms. Aom, met us at the airport and our first stop was the magnificent Royal Grand Palace.The Grand Palace complex was established in 1782 and consists of not only royal and throne halls, but also a number of government offices as well as the famous Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
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The Emerald Buddha housed here is considered to be the most important image of Buddha in Thailand. The image, carved from a single block of jade, has three golden costumes corresponding to the summer, winter and rainy seasons, which are changed with the seasons and only by the King, to bring good fortune to the country during each season.
The Ramakien gallery's walls are painted with murals depicting scenes from the Ramakien, Thailand's national epic.
For a different pace, we took a longtail boat along the bustling Chao Phraya River, viewing shrines and temples, and through quiet khlongs (canals) where old, weathered teak homes alternated with modern town houses and crumbling shacks.
We disembarked at Asiatique, a large open-air mall and night market on the riverfront, where we had dinner and shopped for souvenirs. There are around 1,500 stalls, selling everything from fashion to handicrafts. Ms. Aom then took us to our hotel, the Novotel Bangkok Fenix Silom, picking us up there the following morning for our second day exploring Bangkok.
Maeklong Railway Market was our first destination, a unique daily market on a train line where many of the stallholders display their vegetables, fruit and food products right on the rail tracks. When the train comes through (several times a day), vendors lower their awnings and move their produce further back off the train tracks.
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The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market was one of our favorite experiences. You could buy almost anything, from cooked food to household goods. The best part was riding in a boat through the canal, even though we were hemmed in at times by all the vendor boats! If you expressed an interest the vendor used a hook and pulled your boat closer to bargain.
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A short stop at a coconut farm allowed us to learn about the variety of items created from coconuts, like sugar, soap, lotion, oil and delicious candy. All parts of the coconut are used for some type of product, including the shell and the husk.
Ms. Aom stopped for lunch at Central Plaza in Mahachai, a huge mall with a food court unlike any we'd seen before. A voucher card could be purchased to use at any of the numerous food stalls. We had a great meal before our return to the ship.
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