We took advantage of the long Easter weekend to travel to Bangkok and do the tourist trail. I love this city – there is so much to see and do and the food is out of this world. Probably my favourite! I must learn how to make mango sticky rice!
This buddha seemed to find the advice amusing
More amazingly detailed and captivating work on these figures holding up a very heavy structure! He wouldn’t help me sleep at night…
The Grand Palace is completely dazzling with gold everywhere
Everywhere you look there is opulence – it is a different world outside the gates
More vistas, more intricately beautiful tiling and craftsmanship
No, he’s not trying to escape – someone has to maintain this beautiful place. The tiles on the wall remind me of Peranakan tiles in Singapore – their style and colours are similar.
Close up of some of the detail of tiles and moulding
And yet more detail – the colours are so bright
108 offering bowls in a row – can’t get out of temple giving that easily! And actually the sound of small coins dropping into metal containers was very pleasing to the ear – as though the offering was raining down gently. Perhaps a nice idea for churches to take up?
Buddhist devotees transferring gold leaf onto statues as an offering
A group of Japanese tourists in beautiful, brightly colourful floppy hats
Outside the palace walls and the busyness of street life, taxis and tuk tuks takes over. Here a friendly tuk tuk driver salutes me despite us not wanting a ride!
The people are friendly, but this is a big tourist area.
The shadier side of Bangkok – at least it’s a positive message – Patpong’s red light district during the day
At night there are go go dancers, in the day do they turn into mannequins?
Some of Bangkok’s faces – this little girl sat with her mum who was selling street food just by our hotel – some days she was on her mum’s knee, other days she was playing with someone else while her mum was busy serving a customer
This kind-faced lady brings her sewing machine to the street to do repairs. Working on the street is really important here – I walked past a queue of people on a busy road one day. Looking around to see what they were waiting for, I saw a man giving massages in the front of his MPV parked next to them!
I’m not sure if this is a living sculpture or just a local bike hire shop displaying its products. Either way, I love the way it’s like a multi-frame photo of a cycle ride
Silk cocoons being boiled and then unravelled for the thread at Jim Thompson’s original home in the centre of Bangkok
This image of tranquility and calm gives a feel for the beautiful house and gardens that belonged to Jim Thompson when he lived here – an oasis in the midst of high rise towers
Back to the bustle of street selling at the huge weekend market. This guy and the market stall were so full of fluorescent colours that you could hardly make him and the lovely stall holder out – you’ll just have to imagine his electric blue motorbike, fluo t-shirt and the multi-coloured shorts on the stall! His mouthguard is quite something too!
Another market – it looked like a local wholesale one rather than the busy weekend market we also visited. Dried fish and shrimp of all sorts and people resting or even sleeping in the heat of the day.
There was something almost ancient and biblical about these fish hanging to dry I imagine. So much rubbish all around and then this neat row of fish. I could have spent longer at this quiet market – dark and eery in some places, bright light shining through others, yet another side of Bangkok life.
So much stuff in such a tiny space! It’s enough to give you a headache just looking at it. Fortunately, help is at hand…
My final pictures take us off dry land and onto the Klong – canals all around the main river through Bangkok. Another place where life thrives in all sorts of ways.
Our longboat pilot seemed to be more interested in getting from A to B than in letting us take in the sights, but I captured a few of the waterside homes and buildings. Loved the colours on this one.
Spot the local wildlife
From selling on the streets to selling on the klong – anywhere is good for doing business here and service with a smile too!
A ride on a longboat is an absolute must for another perspective of local life. I leave you with the beautiful colours of a longboat bow!!!
