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| Grounds of the Grand Palace , Bangkok |
We decided to use Tell Tale Travel, the same small British company we traveled with to Sri Lanka, but this time we decided on a trip they called Nature Adventures in Thailand tailored for just two people. We included three days on an island before making our way home. We like Tell Tale because of their personal service. I know just about all of the team now and can call and talk to them any time. The company also plans their trips with responsibility to animals, the planet, the country visiting and its customs and people.
And I have to say that it was the trip of a lifetime, equally enlightening and enjoyable as my trip to India when I was 34 years old. Now I am 73 and Dave is 71. This trip would have worked for any age but it was nice to build in some leisure time at the end on Koh Samet to savor all we had done and seen in such a short time and have some unplanned days.
The advantage of a tailored trip for two was that there was a lot of time to get to know the hosts, drivers and guides assigned to us. If you are a curious person and talkative like I am, there was time and opportunity to ask all the questions we wanted and get to talk to Thai people more than in a group. I didn't feel as if I was ignoring the group or taking too much time with the driver's or guides. They were all happy to talk to us as much as we wished.
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| Main house of our hosts in Bangkok |
We arrived from Seattle and Nice respectively, to arrive separately in Bangkok and were each driven by the Tell Tale driver Tommy who was assigned to us throughout the trip. We were taken to a lovely home hidden on a side street in the middle of the 10 million people in and out of the huge city of Bangkok.
It was a small oasis not far from miles of freeways which criss-crossed the city. Bangkok is a city that has grown so fast that our hosts remember jungle with wild elephants around when they were living there as children.
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| Garden looking toward the street |
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| Dave in front of our house in the back of the property |
Our hosts were a family: mother, father and a brother living in the main house. Another house at the back was to be ours. It had been grandmother's house and was equipped with two baths, three small bedrooms, a kitchen and a lounge area.
For meals we went to the main house where lovely Thai dishes were produced by a Burmese maid who also lives there with her husband. A son, Maai who was studying to become a pilot for Thai Airways popped in occasionally to join us for meals. We did not meet daughter, Nam who is currently studying for a Master's degree in Japan.
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| Our host and hostess in Bangkok, Khun Goi and Khun Wanji. |
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| Kitchen lady and brother are included here |
Even though I was jet lagged from flying east, our first big day out was to visit three temples with our guide, Qiu. ( kee- oo) She was a history and communications professor and loved being a guide. She came from a huge family of 12 kids and was energetic, cheerful and enthusiastic. She also thoroughly respected the Thai traditions and I was glad that I had been warned to choose long trousers and a long sleeve blouse to visit the sacred places. In fact Tell Tale sent a dossier before our trip to advise us on what is expected. We found that it is disrespectful to dress in shorts, tee shirts, bare shoulders or immodest dress, for both men and women. Shoes are always removed before entering homes, or especially before entering temples.
First stop was to see the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace. We went by boat which is a quick and efficient way to get to the center.
I have to say that the smallish jade statue of the Emerald (colored) Buddha itself was a bit of a let down as it is elevated above the heads of worshippers and tourists so that it appears quite small. It is made from one piece of green jade which is almost completely covered with golden clothes and diamonds ( the clothes are changed to different items three times a year). This statue is, however, Thailand's most important sacred temple and relic and also that a single piece of jade of it's size is rare.
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| Temples and out buildings within the walls of the Palace |
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| Detail of the glass and gold filigree work on most of the buildings and the temple |
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| Lovely young Thais we came across |
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| The actual temple of the Emerald Buddha as seen from the side. Two golden Stupas are on either side. |
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| Qiu, our guide |
What is even more impressive however are the beautiful courtyards of exquisite Royal architecture in the form of temples and Presidential buildings which surround the temple of the Emerald Buddha. Many are covered with bits of colorful glass in intricate patterns and enamel and porcelain. The effect is quite dazzling.
What is interesting is that the Emerald Buddha itself most resembles images from southern India and Sri Lanka and has travelled in numerous areas of Asia where armies have battled over its ownership.
There are reliable historical records that indicate that this Buddha was kept in Chiang Rai from 1391-1436. By chance, lightning striking the temple revealed the jade statue hidden inside a plaster Buddha to protect it from theft.
The rest of the story is equally intriguing, but I will not relate it here. Suffice it to say that King Rama I of Thailand retrieved the "emerald" Buddha from Laos in 1782 and brought it to its present resting place in the newly established capital of Thailand, Bangkok.
Also included in the visit are exquisitely painted murals done with gold leaf depicting an elaborate tale from Indian lore.
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| Part of a wall length mural |
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| Qiu in front of the mural |
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| A young Thai girl posing for a photo |
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| That's me in front of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha |
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| Lotus , incense and candles are burned as offerings for prayers |
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