Bangkok- A city of charm and mystery

The Grand Palace was exquisite, and the Temple of Dawn as well. But mostly I enjoyed walking around and seeing how people live...and work. Many things are for the tourists and if you can get away from some of that and see how they live it can be a whole experience in itself. Did a lot of walking around and just taking turns to see things off the beaten path. Also The Peninsula Hotel where I stayed was phenominal.

Quick Tips:

I left early one morning and took a long boat, ended up having alone...for very little money, so the driver took me where I wanted for the whole day, went into some of the waterways that snake around and are endless.

Best Way To Get Around:

Waterways for some, walking for some, and the tuk-tuks are all easy, traffic is pretty bad so taking a taxi can be a long journey in itself.

This was a spectacular hotel. There are only 12 rooms per floor, so each room will have a great view. The rooms are very large and the service impeccable. Every need is taken care of, from travel info, and restaurant reservations, to the hot spots, and local sites. The price includes breakfast each morning, and one way transportation to or from the hotel in either a Mercedes or a Rolls Royce. Depending upon the time of year you travel the prices vary, but my travel agent got an incredible deal of under $100.00 per night. If anyone would like to contact him send me a message and I will send his # to you; he is wonderful to work with and finds the best deals at the best hotels. The hotel also has a boat that takes you back and forth across the chaophraya river, you really can get spoiled, and may not even want to leave the hotel. There is even a t.v. in the bathtub.....hmmmmm take me there now.

Wat Arun is known as the temple of the dawn, named after the Indian god Aruna. The best way to view the temple is from your boat on the Chaophraya River. There is not a lot to see if you go into it directly, there are some gardens surrounding...but the view from the river is beautiful. This is a single temple that rises up into the air, and is made with thousands of tiny porcelain pieces. The detail work is exquisite. This temple is generally regarded as a symbol of Bangkok.

AMAZING
The detail, and workmanship that went into creating this work of art is inspirational...this is also where the emerald Buddha, although small was one of the most sought after relics with the bearer having great power. The palace was originally built in 1782 by the Chakri dynasty. It is truly magical and you feel that this is what they mean by a palace in fairy tales. There are also smaller type museums within the grounds where there are pictures and architecture from the beginning of the Palaces building.

One can only imagine what it was like, with the king and his court running about in the lap of luxury.