Thailand, 1st and 2nd Impressions

The Kings Palace

I was somewhat sad to leave the garden isle behind with its lush familiariy,but alas we have. Our plane left @ 6:oo am to Honolulu so we woke at 4:00 in the morning. Leaving so early does have certain benefits,most importantly the potential for flights to be on time. The downside of course is the lack of sleep and delerium. After a short layover we boarded the 10 hourflight to Manilla, waited 5 hours and dragged ourselves onto the 3 hour flight to Bangkok. Pretty much one full day of traveling. No real hassles, except Anika's dipleasure at not finding wi fi access in Manilla. Huge for her. Bangkok customs was a breeze, everyone very helpful and kind. We found the Taxi and made it to the "uber chic" hostel at 10:00 PM
local time(about 6 Am on our clocks). We promptly found our beds and fell asleep. The next day we had grand ambitions to take the local transit into Bangkok proper(takes about an hour) and visit the Kings Palace, eat some local cuisine and behave like the seasoned travelers we imagine we are(not). First BIG mistake. We made it OK via tuk tuk and canal canal boat to our presumed destination near the Palace. Being in a state of near exhaustion we were at the mercy of the seemingly helpful locals to make our way. A kind seeming man seeing our confusion approached us and offered assistence. We told him we neede to make our way to the Palace and he responded by informing us tha the palace was closed until 2PM because the Kings sister had died and he recomended we take a tuk tuk(small 3 wheeled motorcycle thing) to some of his favorite spots nearby,"only 10 bat". Having not read or competely forgotten the guidebook section on common scams we agreed. First stop was the "lucky Buddha statue(who's luck?) OK not so bad, then off to the garment factory to see real Thai taylors make clothing (starting to be suspicious) Thankfully Anika nearly blew a gasket when the man offered to make her a shirt for only $280.00 and we sped out the door. The tuk tuk guy looked concerned and offered to take us to the "gasoline factory"?! He spoke little English and when we protested he promised "just look, no  buy". We finally reached our limit and told him to take us back which he pretended not to understand. At that stage we paid the man and hailed a taxi to take us back where we started. Fixed price no meter. Another guidebook error. We paid twice as much as we should have and anded up where we starte 3 hours later. Of course by then we were exhausted hungry confused and the rain started coming down in buckets. Thanks to the guidebook and Lysa's navigation skills we found a restaurant and had a great meal. Somewhat revived we took the multifaceted transit system back. Our 2nd day was much more sucessful. We toured the Kings palace which was like a trip to Oz. We also visited the temple adjacent where the largest reclining Buddha resides. After strolling the amulet market we made our way home and ate another fantastic meal on the street in our neighborhood. We navigate the language barrier with pointing, shrugs, smiles, and naivete.

A Kindred Spirit

  The last day in Bangkok was consumed with figuring out how to get out. Our initial plan was to take the sleeper train north to Lampang. We went to the ticket office and were told with a shrug that the train wasn't running. We later found out that the rain we experienced caused flooding in the north. Oh well,adjusting our plans we went to the bus station and booked a 1st class sleeper there. One more great meal and we were on our way north. Lampang is a much smaller town known for it's temples and it's elephant conservation and rehab program which we will visit tomorrow. Our spirits and energy are starting to return,mostly(mine and Lysa's). Anika I think still wishes she was at home with her friends. She claims Bangkok was among the worst days of her life. She would prefer a wi fi connection and unlimited computer time. I keep reminding myself she is 13 and in a culture completely new to her. I am given many opportunities to practice Compassion, sometimes I succeed, sometimes I succumb.
    Lessons Learned: First impressions are just that , nothing more. Dont take the sleeper bus or train and expect to be functional the next day. Remain flexible and willing to change plans when circumstances require. Stay off the tuk-tuk to the lucky Buddha. Strangers approaching you have their own agenda, stay calm, smile, keep breathing.
 I am sending my Love home to you all, hotwater