Thursday, May 6, 2010

I am in SIAM






11:30pm Bangkok time


We are staying in an absolutely stunning hotel, The Mandarin Oriental (thanks for the recommendation Derek!). When Oteil and I walked into the lobby tonight, we both stopped short, our mouths agape. I've never seen such an impressive hotel interior. It's no wonder it was voted the best hotel in the world for multiple years in Travel and Leisure. Situated overlooking the Chao Phraya River in an area of the city famous for it's Asian antiques, we will certainly be scouring the streets tomorrow for special treasures. Also on the agenda: a visit to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha), a dinner cruise along the river to check out Bangkok's myriad temples lit up in all of their nighttime glory, and hopefully, if we can squeeze it in, a Muay Thai boxing match!


8:00am Bangkok


After doing a little reading up on Thai culture, we've discovered a few important "Do's and Don'ts" that visitors should adhere to to avoid behaving offensively. One should never touch the heads of Thais (not even the children). Women especially should never touch a Buddhist monk. In Thailand, the feet are considered the dirtiest part of the body and you are never to sit with the bottoms of your feet facing anyone, particularly pointed towards an image of Buddha. (That would explain why the Thai gentlemen across the aisle from me on the airplane stared at me when my bare feet were propped up on the armrest.. oops!) The king's anthem is played twice a day, at 8am and 6pm, and one is expected to stand during this time, wherever you may be. Although the monarchy lost it's power in 1932, the Thai king, Rama IX (the longest reigning monarch in Thai history) is still immensely popular and remains a beloved figure to the Thai people.


The more we read about the city last night, the more excited we became. It will be a feat to pack in all of the amazing sights and experiences today. I'll leave you with Oteil's words "Man, we are SO in the coolest place on Earth!"


Off to explore the city...


Love from the Burbridges!



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