Thailand: Bangkok, Take 2

An enchanted city, Bangkok. Somehow, the normal rules don't apply in this city of 10 million people: two cars share one traffic lane, stray dogs are no more vicious than sleepy kittens, and even department stores serve incredible food.

Our second stay in Bangkok went by even more quickly than the first. Returning to the Four Wings Hotel felt almost like coming home, and we took full advantage of all the benefits that home had to offer: daily massages at Body Tune, sumptuous dinners Thai coin

at Lemongrass, a return trip to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. We shopped at the Central Department Store, loitered around Bangkok Pavilion, and marveled at the incredible human and automobile traffic jams on Sukhumvit - usually from a deadlocked cab.

Our last day was bittersweet. The night before, we'd taken a dinner barge up the Chao Phraya with Meow and her family - a sweet, amazingly humble clan. We felt illuminated just being around them - and there was the river on top of Thai coin

that, lit by the twinkling lights of luxury hotels and exploding fireworks.

After that, there was little to do but get one more round of traditional Thai massages, have some more pictures taken in one of those crazy sticker photo booths, finish our shopping ... and leave, which was more spiritually difficult than any of us had expected.

We still have the wonderful memories, at least. And the stickers.


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			Bangkok, Take 2
	An enchanted city, Bangkok. Somehow, the normal rules don't apply in this city of 10 million people: two cars share one traffic lane, stray dogs are no more vicious than sleepy kittens, and even department stores serve incredible food. Our second stay in Bangkok went by even more quickly than the first. Returning to the Four Wings Hotel felt almost like coming home, and we took full advantage of all the benefits that home had to offer: daily massages at Body Tune, sumptuous dinners at Lemongrass, a return trip to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. We shopped at the Central Department Store, loitered around Bangkok Pavilion, and marveled at the incredible human and automobile traffic jams on Sukhumvit - usually from a deadlocked cab. Our last day was bittersweet. The night before, we'd taken a dinner barge up the Chao Phraya with Meow and her family - a sweet, amazingly humble clan. We felt illuminated just being around them - and there was the river on top of that, lit by the twinkling lights of luxury hotels and exploding fireworks. After that, there was little to do but get one more round of traditional Thai massages, have some more pictures taken in one of those crazy sticker photo booths, finish our shopping ... and leave, which was more spiritually difficult than any of us had expected. We still have the wonderful memories, at least. And the stickers.

		Bangkok We returned to the market to buy all of the things we didn't want to carry for two weeks. After nearly 20 days in the country, we were a little better at maneuvering the tight aisle and bartering with the merchants, but we were still big Americans in a foreign land. We had a final night at the hotel bar, and Geoff even did some Sinatra with the Filipino band.		Photos Click on link to view Click here for thumbnails

		River barge trip A beautiful trip down the Chao Phraya with Meow and her family.		Photos Click on link to view Click here for thumbnails
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