bangkok notes
Posted on | February 8, 2008 | Comments Off
breakfast at the shangri la
we went to sleep with the curtains open, so we could lie in bed and see the lights of bangkok, and the non-stop activity on the chao praya river.
our room is wonderfully located on a slight bend of the river,so we have a sweeping view down the river as well as across.
having the curtains open meant that we woke early to a clear sunny day….within a couple of hours, however, the smog sets in and everything gets hazy and gray.
it really makes us appreciate the pristine quality of the air at home even more.
breakfast is held at downstairs, on a terrace right beside the river.
with our coffee and musesli, we can watch the early commuters on the chao praya river express boats, and the laden barge trains moving ponderously and sitting perilously low in the water.
the movement is non-stop and exciting, but it isn’t obnoxiously noisy.
the buffet itself is sensational….it is multi-cultural and extensive and everything is fresh and gorgeous.
the pastry station is dangerous….serried ranks of gleaming pastries piled high, everything tiny and perfect.
there are chefs making waffles and pancakes and omelets to order and goodlooking waiters running everywhere with hot tea and coffee.
the service is smooth and perfect.
it’s a great way to start the day.
behind the hotel
last night we dived into the alleyways behind the hotel and found a sort of small market and food stall area where the hotel staff hang out.
we decided to have dinner there…everything looked fresh and delicious and the prices couldn’t be beaten.
we roamed up and down the stalls and found little crisp spring rolls and plates of freshly cooked pad thai noodles and bottles of luke warm pepsi.
the entire thing cost 130 baht….a little over $4 for two of us. and this was with clean undercover seating and as much chilli condiments as you could eat.
wat po
we went back to see the beautiful and HUGE reclining buddha at wat po.
he is awesome in his large serene goldness, with his exquisite mother-of-pearl-inlaid soles.
he is housed in an ornate building that is a work of art in itself.
every square inch of ceiling, walls, and multitudes of pillars is minutely covered in gold decoration or handpainted with tiny endless scenes.
i have photos but am still working out how to upload from new camera.
to get to wat po, we simply walked to central pier and jumped on the river express ferry with the hordes of other people, and travelled 8 stops down the river, for about 15 cents each.
the boats were absolutely jam packed full on the way back…..they have a special area for buddhist monks to stand so no women can touch them inadvertently.
