Across the Bridge

Elephant statue with the Grand Palace behind

Even after nearly a full week in Phuket, I still didn't really feel like going to Bangkok. I'm not what you'd call a big city kind of person, and the very little about Bangkok (the Grand Palace aside) appealed to me at all. If it weren't for the fact that to get virtually anywhere in Thailand from Phuket requires a stop in Thailand's capital, I might have skipped it altogether.

As it turned out, that would have been a shame.

Golden Mountain

The move from Phuket, an island lying south of the Thai peninsula, to Bangkok, which sits at the bottom of the bulge that is mainland Thailand, marked a transition from the first phase of my trip - easy, beachy, island life - into the second, which would include more cultural sights, temples, and history.

The 13 hour bus ride from Phuket was easy and comfortable - I was seated on the upper deck in the first row, directly above the driver, with no one in the seat beside me, so I had all the space to stretch out I could have asked for. I slept most of the way and pulled into the bus station feeling reasonably well-rested. The station was small, and unmarked (at least in English), and there were no other foreigners around. I actually thought I might be in the wrong place, I was so sure that this couldn't be the insane, crowded Bangkok that I had so feared. In fact, it was the right place, and I found a taxi driver who agreed to take me on the meter (hadn't I read that it was nearly impossible to talk taxi drivers in Bangkok into turning on their meters?) to my hostel, which I found easily enough despite being dropped on the main road and the hostel being tucked back in a quiet, somewhat secluded, lane (the hostel was fittingly called "The Oasis Hostel" and it certainly felt that way; from the lovely garden patio you would never guess you were inside a mega-city). I checked in and then nervously headed out, in the direction of the Golden Mountain temple, suggested by the hostel owner as a good first stop. The street I walked down was pretty crummy, but it wasn't overwhelming - the city's layout is actually rather straightforward and easy to navigate, and I became more and more confident as I walked passed hole-in-the-wall cafes and food stands, side by side with office buildings and banks. Every so often, a gleam of gold would signify a temple nearby. The Golden Mountain is more of a viewpoint than an actual temple (although it functions that way too). Rather than entering at ground level, there is a staircase that winds its way up, circling the golden dome to reach the top, where the shrine is. The way up is cool, thanks to the trees that grow alongside, and the misty sprinklers that keep the plants green and growing.

Shady path to the viewpoint

View over the city from the Golden Mountain

I wandered the area for a while, enjoying the grounds of the Golden Mountain and surrounding temples, before heading toward the Chinatown district, for a glimpse of the market (which was enormous, selling clothes, food, electronics, and everything in between). From there I made my way to the canal, where I caught a ferry back up to the neighborhood of the hostel. The ferry ride was cheap and easy, and provided a great way to see the city (or at least, the part of it that lies directly along the canal, which includes a handful of temples, some canal-side markets, restaurants, and cafes, and a couple of really beautiful bridges. I spent a low-key evening in the hostel with a few other guests. As it got later, we headed to the infamous Khao San Road (a backpacker-crazy street of street food, hostels, and bars that is the setting of many a story of debauchery and drunkenness), in my case, just out of curiosity. Frankly, I was disappointed (and, to be completely honest, a bit relieved). It was really only a single, small street, with some spillover into the next two blocks. The street was crowded with vendors of pad thai, clothes, and insects (for eating... I already did that in Koh Lanta and was satisfied), but the bar-goers were more or less contained within their respective establishments; it wasn't a massive party like I'd thought, or even a steady and lengthy string of bars and clubs. We made one circle up and down the street, and then called it a night and went home, to our quiet little Oasis.

The following day I got up early, hoping to beat the crowds (and the heat) to the Grand Palace, my one must-do for the city. I knew it wasn't too long of a walk, so I put on my blinders and ignored the tuk tuk drivers calling out to offer me rides, warning me of the heat and the strong sun; I employed one of my very few Thai phrases: "Mae aow kah!" (I don't want it please!), which generally got a chuckle, and convinced them to leave me alone. As I got near the palace, two tourists approached me, and asked whether I knew if the palace was closed for the day, as they had been told as much by someone on the street. I had heard of such scams, and I replied that I knew the palace was open every day. Not five minutes later, as I was about to cross the street to the palace wall, a tuk tuk driver started making his way to me; I saw him coming and sped up, doing my best to see purposeful and not to be swayed, but he ran to catch up with me. "Madame," he implored, his eyes wide, as though genuinely concerned about my answer, "where are you going?" I pointed across to the palace without speaking and his eyes got even wider. "Oh, no! Palace closed today! Buddha day! Thai people have their prayers!" I was shocked at how common such a scam must be, for the two people I'd just passed to have experienced the same thing (and at least two other guests at the hostel complained of the same thing). I felt grateful for all the people who'd been taken in by these tuk tuk drivers, for having prepared me to just nod and continue on my way. (FYI, the Grand Palace is open every day, regardless of anyone on the street who might tell you otherwise. This is one of Thailand's most famous scams - I read about it in the Southeast Asia Lonely Planet book, and I was surprised that so many people have still fallen for it.)

As I entered the palace (slightly before the throng of people who showed up later in the morning, but alongside what appeared to be several buses of Chinese tour groups), I was entranced by the grounds alone: perfectly manicured lawns, with pretty gold and white stupas peering over the wall.

Mural

Then we entered the palace itself, and it was absolutely indescribable. The murals on the walls of the passage through the gates were beautiful and well-preserved, with incredibly bright colors and gold highlights. The buildings and temples themselves were gold, blue, green, and red, with walls covered in tiny mirror mosaics hat reflected the sun and made the whole place sparkle. Each doorway and entrance was guarded by gold and stone figures and the various domes and stupas and spires meant that there were a thousand things to look at and examine closely. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, one of the palace's primary attractions was absolutely stunning, inside and out. The shrine was so tall, stretching nearly to the ceiling, that it took me some time to locate the relic itself, perched on top. When I did finally bring my eyes up to meet it, it was mesmerizing - the color alone itself was just beautiful. I spent a long time working my way in and out of each of the buildings in the complex, unable to tear myself away from each one. Although it was crowded, it wasn't to the extent that I couldn't move and force my way through the tour groups, and I didn't feel like I had to follow a current of humans around the grounds.

These turquoise mirrored pieces were some of my favorites

I love these guys

The roofs were especially spectacular

I spent several hours wandering the area of the palace; when I'd seen what I could and was ready for a break I headed out, grabbed some lunch from one of the many shops lining the street in front of the palace, and then made my way south, toward the flower market. It was a lovely way to get out of the sun for a while - there were dozens of people selling flower necklaces, flowers for prayer and ceremonies, and various arrangements, as well as enormous bags of petals, and bouquets of cut flowers wrapped in paper. Some of them were such gorgeous colors, and it was cool and misty in the market, keeping the tourists as fresh as the flowers.

From there I backtracked to Wat Pho, the reclining Buddha temple that lies just south of the palace. The temple complex was nearly as big and beautiful as the palace itself, with several small chapels and stupas inside the compound. I wandered there for a while, admiring the colors and stone figures spread around the grounds, then entered the temple itself. My first glimpse of the Buddha through the door was just of his ear, and even that was enough to surprise me with its enormous size. The statue lies on his side, depicting the moment of Buddha's death, and the length of his body spans the entire hall. My favorite part was the soles of his feet, which are adorned with mother of pearl inlay, illustrating various religious scenes, as well as beautiful flowery designs.

Pretty little stupas

At the gate to the reclining Buddha statue

Absolutely enormous

There I am, tiny beside his elbow

Beautiful pearl at his heels

At the canal

I made my way back to the hostel to sit down and regroup, then spent the rest of the afternoon on and around Khao San Road, exploring the street by day, when it specializes in street shopping before the bars open. For dinner I met up with an old friend, at a tiny street stall serving delicious and local-priced briyani rice. Overall, I concede: Bangkok is not as scary a city as I was preparing myself for, I was not nearly as overwhelmed as I expected to be, and I'd go back, if only for a night or two on my way somewhere else.

Shoppers and snackers on Khao San Road