Bangkok revisited

This is one of the most iconic Buddha head images in the world, It is in the grounds of Wat Mahathat. This tree was found growing around the stone head in the 1900s. The area had previously been abandoned following its destruction by the Burmese army. It is assumed that a broken statue had been left by the tree which then grew up around it.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet.

A lot of the ruins were doing impressions of the famous tower in Pisa. Once again if this was England we would not have been able to go anywhere near them let alone walk around and on most of them!

It is always good to see people and monks appreciating these places of worship and not just us tourists walking about.

This was definitely on its last legs

Chedi at Wat Phu Khao Thong.

This huge reclining Buddha image, called Phra Noon, is at Wat Lokayasutharam and measures 37m long and 8m high.

When we first saw this huge Buddha image with string in front of it we thought what a shame they have left this mess around it. We then noticed the string was tied to the thumb of the statue. Apparently the string has some religious significance but we couldn’t confirm exactly what that was. There is still so much more to learn about Asia and its religions

Beautifully entwined trees.

This is a floating petrol station.

We went up and down and on and off the Chao Phraya river, which flows through Bangkok, many times during our second visit there. At night the temples and boats looked lovely all lit up. Once again, in the day, we could see how the local people lived along the river in little shacks along side the huge five star hotels and fancy Malls and the like.

Someone’s house by the water whereby they had used the old boat out back for their muddles like we would a shed.

I wondered whether it is for Ladyboys!? We saw many Ladyboys walking around but I wasn’t so rude as to take photos as they seem to be just going about their day not parading about if you know what I mean.

We know that they have boob jobs and probably wear certain bras that help the illusion but what we were surprised to see in Bangkok was underwear that enhanced their bottoms! I don’t suppose that would just be Ladyboys actually. Again we all know about ‘spanks’ in the UK which help make your your tummy and thighs look toned but here they had LOTS of totally padded bras AND knickers with padded cheeks in! (Chuckle) That is how the skinny women manage to still look so shapely I guess.

Glen noticed there was a ‘make do and mend’ feel about this stone carving whereby if a stone walking stick or the like had broken off it had been replaced by a stick or a branch from a tree (Chuckle). Glen had been making do and mending things as we have gone around Asia. Cutting the wire on my spare iPad charger and reattaching the wires to his broken ipad charger lead for instance. Oh and I have done so much darning to his faithful old Black and White shorts that there is more darning than actual material left now. Let’s hope they hold out a bit longer.

Bags of small round green and white aubergines which have been served in every Green Thai Curry we have eaten.

‘Onion street’ every size or shape of onion was available here.

‘Chilli street ‘ If you couldn’t see it for sale there then there isn’t such a variety on earth.

Typical little eatery in an alley…. I say typical but this was actually clean, organised and very tidy!

The Democracy monument and yet another huge photo of the King which are everywhere in Thailand. I couldn’t help but think what a massive task it will be when they have a new King one day. There are whole streets with shops selling massive signs and posters etc honouring the King and his wife.

Although many people leave their little stalls and stock at night, seemingly without a thought that they could be stolen, this jewellery shop had security in mind when they erected this metal ‘cage’ around the whole building!

Teeny tiny old lady. (smile) I am fake browsing to give you an idea of her size.

A happy chap living on the street cooking his food and he even has a little washing line; I was impressed.

It was a strange place, we walked around some of the little alley ways that we hadn’t come across before. One day we noticed a handwritten sign saying “short cut to Koh San road” but it was pointing up some narrow steps to a back door. We walked up and in through the door to find we were in the back of a little guest house so we walked up and down steps inside and eventually out the otherside on to Koh San Road. No one batted an eye, no one tried to sell us anything it was just a short cut to the main tourist street. How kind, to just let people walk through your place.

We walked down another quiet alley way and saw a man was asleep in a chair one side and there was a little kitchen area and a TV the other side. As we walked on we realised we were walking through what they had made their lounge, kitchen and bedroom, they actually lived in the alley. It was similar to Phi Phi and Koh Lanta where we saw people who owned or maybe managed little hotels living in the reception area or store room or down the side of the building in an alley.

People live such different lives to us in Asia, they didn’t look any less happy than us. The children seemed to play happily with simple things and we hardly ever heard a child cry or have a tantrum.

View from the 22nd floor of the 253 Asoke building where we went to apply for our Indian visas.

I know they advise you to wear smart clothes and long trousers etc when going in to apply for a visa but this man’s clothes looked completely out of place. Especially seeing as he had the longest dreadlocks we’ve ever seen. The dreadlocks were layered back and forth. We’ve seen a lot of dreadlocks this last four months but they are usually piled high on top of heads and tied with a scarf or hanging down, never folded lol!

We really enjoyed our time back in Bangkok but we got what we came for so it was time to leave the Pad Thai noodles, Green Thai and Panang Curries and head for India.