Bangkok

Getting Around 

Traffic in Bangkok is a little bit congested in exactly the same way that interstellar space is a little bit empty. During rush hour, it can take 45 minutes or more to go a few blocks, and I've been told that there are intersections that are so bad it is literally faster to get out of one cab, walk past the offending intersection, and get into another cab.

One solution to this problem is to take a motorcycle taxi instead of a car. Motorcycle taxis are cheap and fast. The key to their speed is the fact that they will negotiate rapidly between cars if there is sufficient clearance. Sufficient clearance might be loosely defined as an inch or so on each side of your knees. I was first introduced to motorcycle taxis in the wee hours of the morning. At night, after a few drinks, the experience was a little disorienting. During rush hour and stone cold sober, the experience was, uhm, exhilarating. Especially when the bike was negotiating between cars speeding in opposite directions.

A View from the Back of a Motorcycle Taxi

Markets 

The markets that I saw in Bangkok were simply incredible. An almost indescribable jumble of fish, produce, meats, baked goods, foodstuffs I could hardly recognize and some that I absolutely couldn't, erzats American goods, paper products, china, glasswear, silks, and a hundred-thousand other things.

Fresh Produce at the Weekend Market in Chatuchak Park

On Soi 16 in Chinatown

Temples 

There are literally tens of thousands of temples in Bangkok. Buddhist temple architecture in Bangkok is glorious. Brightly colored tile walls, tall jeweled and golden spires, and fantastic statuary is just the beginning.

A Small Fraction of Wat Arun

The center of Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn, is a 260 foot Khmer-inspired tower. The huge tower is covered in a boroque, almost rococo, mosaic of sculpture, glass, jewels, and brilliant tile that blends into a colorful, swirling textured covering on the massive structure.

Ayutthaya outside Bangkok

This temple at Ayutthaya was destroyed in 1767 by the invading Burmese.

The Grand Palace

The Grand Palace occupies a square mile in downtown Bangkok. And these pictures don't do it justice.

The Grand Palace

The Grand Palace

The Grand Palace

The Grand Palace

Inside 

The temples are gorgeous inside, too.

Incense and Candles Offered in a Temple in Ayutthaya

Gold Leaf on a Small Buddha inside Wat Pho

Small squares of gold leaf are applied by individuals coming to the temple. When the layer of gold, built up entirely from these almost microscopically thin sheets is an inch or so thick, the gold is melted down and a new Buddha is cast.

The Reclining Budda at Wat Pho

Statuary 

I really love some of the statuary.

A Cat

By the River Near the Marble Temple

I Want my MTV! 

200 channels?

A Canal House

This house, on a canal on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya river, may not be accessible by any means other than water, but they've got satellite TV!