1 Arrive from Taipei to Bangkok - December 17, 2024
2 First Day: made our way to the Jim Thompson House to see the antiques, the silk, the shop and hear the story or his mysterious disappearance.
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4 A very knowledgable young House Guide
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6 Statue of mythical monkey god
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8 a silk loom
9 A Michelin Restaurant for our first dinner in Bangkok Called "ThaiNiyom" and it was superb.
10 Learning how to use the busy Sky Train - Bangkok is huge and polluted. This is in the air. (If only I could read the signs...
11 360 degree view of Bangkok from revolving platform on the 88th floor of BaiYoki Sky Tower, perportedly the tallest building in Thailand.
12 And the same view a bit later from the bar on the 87th floor.
13 reflection of sunset with Xmas lights in the 87th floor bar.
14 Next morning driving through downtown. Giant reminders of what the King and Queen looked like a few decades ago
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16 Royal tributes dot the windows of a downtown hotel
17 So many elephants
18 Both Chinese and Thai writing on this unknown building
19 Passing the royal enclosure as we ride to the river
20 So far these stunning roofs had not become commonplace.
21 Walking along a bank of the Chao Phraya River
22 Christmas is everywhere in the Buddhist country
23 Looking back aat the commercial hub
24 How could I not shoot this house?
25 I call it St Francis of the Hondas
26 One of the Portugese streets
27 A visit to a small bakery in the ethnic Portuguese sectio.n (After 4 or 5 generations, they are now all Thai Citizens.) No modern machinery used. Backed in the old tried and true method in the bottom of this family house. They were very good!
28 Removing the baked cakes from the molds
29 Filling the molds for another batch
30 This lady is packaging them for market
31 A change of scenery, walking along the river
32 And now we're on boat watching the world go by
33 This is a tourist cruiser going the other way.
34 The royal warehouse full of statuary for festivals.
35 One of the real remaining water market and delivery service for the stilt houses.
36 River vessel
37 Many Shrines along the river, but this ensemble is huge - visible from very far.- belongs to the house behind.
38 We stopped to feed catfish
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42 No shortage of giant royal billboards
43 One of many, many temples
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45 Sites on the way to the Palace
46 Copy of a palace in India
47 On Fridays it's common to wear traditional dress to school.
48 The Outer Palace Grounds
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52 Kathy explains the story in the mural
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55 Hanumon
56 Monkey god trying to protect Vishna's kidnapped wife who disguised herself as a mermaid.
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64 These mosaics are all made from pottery shards
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70 Replica of Angkor Wat which was given to the French by Siamese king to avoid that part of Siam being colonized. Now in Cambodia course
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74 Constant upkeep
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77 Kathy demonstrating how one dips a lotus into the holy water and then sprinkles it on one's head, while showing us a photo of the emerald Buddha in his three seasonal costumes.
78 We are not alone
79 As close as we can get with a camera.
80 Guest house of the King
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82 Leaving the Palace behind
83 Just in time for the next performance
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85 They will dance the same story as in the Palace mural.
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96 evening shopping street
97 Tired monk waiting for a bus
98 Bangkok traffic - noisy, stinky, everywhere. I remember it from 1997. Pretty much the same.
99 A little surprise - we're treated to tuktuk rides to the restaurant for or 'Welcome Dinner'.
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103 Butterfly Pea with lime and coconut syrup
104 Amuse-bouches: peanut balls on pinapple eith parsley and tiny chilis - were good & killer chilis.
105 The group minus the photographer, Ken. Trip LeaderKannika ("Kathy") on the left in front. Let's see if I can remember: After Kathy, L>R: Wendy, Jackie, Barbara, Mike, Jackie B, Warren, Lisa, me, Jennifer, Jenn, Der-Long. Whew, I did it.
106 nice lighting for the right back
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108 End of the official Day one. Back to the hotel for a welcome sleep.
