Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand

Aug 23 2007 (originally posted)

Well, my 3+ week journey has about come to an end, in about an hour I leave for the airport to fly back to home sweet home. It’s been a whirlwind three weeks. From Kolkata and my sister’s beautiful wedding, to her prehoneymoon journey with the family through Agra, a week of work in New Delhi, and then a week exploring Bangkok while trying to keep my wits about me. It’s been both a long and quick three weeks. At times it has been hard, alone in very foreign countries that are completely contrary to what I’m familiar with. But for the most part it has been a fantastic and wonderful journey with memories that will last a lifetime. You can’t help but be touched and changed by what you see in travel’s like this.

Bangkok and Thailand is a very interesting place, it can easily become overwhelming as you have to be on the constant lookout for folks trying to take advantage of you (and unfortunately it happens almost everywhere). But when you find the right pocket of the city it is simply magnificent. Whether it’s a quiet neighborhood wat, or the ruins of Ayutthaya, or maybe the back canals…you can see a bit of life how it used to be throughout their past history. Would I come back? Most likely, probably not alone (white man traveling alone…there’s a stereotype about that here…well deserved mind you from what I saw…that makes you a target for everyone pushing their own brand of fun). I think it would be a much easier city to visit now that I’m familiar with it, know how to get around, know how to ignore those trying to offer me something or other.

This photo is from Wat Pho just south of the Grand Palace. Even though it is heavily visited by tourists due to the Reclining Buddha once you get away from all that it is a wonderful place to walk the grounds, intermingling with monks and school children. To me, the various views and sites scream Thailand and it will be a fantastic memory.

See you back in the states
Bangkok, Thailand
August 2007