Bangkok, Thailand

We spent only a short time in Thailand, just doing business in Bangkok and seeing some sites.  We were running short on our 1 year round the world ticket and had so many other places we wanted to visit.  We now regret not spending more time there as we ended up staying longer than our 1 year anyway!

Bangkok was a friendly city, easy to get around in and lots of fun despite the “blue air”!  The air pollution was really nasty causing tearing eyes and coughing to we sensitive folk.  The weather was almost balmy after the heat and humidity we had just experienced in Java for 3 months!!  Our guest house was comfortable, our hosts were friendly and helpful and the food was great!

One of the days in the city we visited the Reclining Buddha Temple.  The reclining Buddha that it is named for rested its humongous body inside of a building that was as big as a football field.  The golden statue stretched the entire length of the building!

The grounds were crowded with statues, colorful temples with towering spires and all sizes of golden buddhas sitting inside glass cases which encircled the Central Temple.  Palm readers, fortune tellers and masseuses were set up to capture business from the many locals and tourists that visited.  There was a lot of restoration happening at the complex and donations were being solicited.  When I offered some money to the monk taking donations, he had me write my name on the back of a tile which would be part of the restoration of one of the spires.  It is kind of neat to know my name will be there rising above the city for years to come.

While we were walking around a young man approached and asked if I could help him with the pronunciation of some English words.  He told me that he comes to the temple every day hoping to talk with native English speakers so he can practice.  He was 30 years old, the youngest of 5 children who came from a farming village in Central Thailand.  His father died before he was born and his mother died when he was 7 years old. He was raised by his grandmother who then died when he was 20.  At the age of 22, he left his village to travel to Bangkok.  He was married for seven years but is now divorced. Until the age of 25 he was totally illiterate but was determined to better himself.  He enrolled in classes to learn how to read and write his native tongue, then began teaching himself English just a year earlier.  He told me that he had a job at another monastery sweeping floors but that  when he could speak English well enough he wanted to get a job in a hotel. He was so grateful that we took the time to talk with him as, he said, many people didn’t bother.  We felt  blessed to meet such an ambitious, fearless and sweet soul, yet another in the long line of beautiful souls we had been privileged to meet on our travels.

Until next time, be fearless in going for what you want in life!!!!