The previous night featured a great sleep, as our new hostel - named Lub d Bangkok, whatever that means - was comfortable, clean, and quiet, all elements that brought a great deal of rest. It was now going to be our fourth different city in South East Asia, and by this time we were used to the little nuances to look out for. Our experiences on the MRT gave us clues about the right places to go and how to best get there. However, today was going to be a bit different, as we were going to get in as many touristy things as possible.
Leaving our hostel, a taxi driver approached us, offering 20 baht to drive us to a bunch of places. Knowing that also would require stopping at various markets or shops to get petrol passes, we negotiated a ride towards the Dusit Zoo, as it was a good 3 or 4 miles from our hostel and a decent starting point to walk down towards other sites. Finally reaching our destination took a bit of haggling, as I opened the door and was ready to get out, but the driver relented after first claiming the zoo was too far. We actually went into the zoo, which was dirty and unimpressive, although did get pictures with elephants. Which I guess is an accomplishment.
Our next stop was Wat Benchamabophit, or the marble temple. There was going to be a lot of temples these next few days. In case anyone was wondering, "wat" is the Thai word for temple. It was the first of many, but this one was very ornate and over-the-top, as most Buddhist temples appeared. Leaving towards the next destination, the Golden Mount, we were somehow talked into getting a tuk tuk for the day for 20 baht. He took us to various temples, each with a different Buddha mood.
One of the best parts of it, was that one of the temples was open only a couple times a year. We even ran into this Thai man who suggested buying sapphires or rubies and selling them for a profit overseas. Strewn within our temples, were two trips to Thai export jewelry stores and a tailor. I bought a suit (why not?) and Sarah a sterling silver ring - much cheaper than my purchase.
After all that it was now late in the afternoon and I was tired of the dirt and soot of the tuk tuk. The driver dropped us off at the Golden Mount and left us to go on his way. It was definitely worth the time experiencing the economic shake up of the tuk tuk driver. Not a good job to say the least. It was a quick walk up the Golden Mount, and also a nice view of the whole city. We climbed down and made our way towards the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, unsure if they were going to be open or not. Along the way, we passed another big temple and a Giant Swing. These Thais are crazy.
Unfortunately, both our destinations of interest were closed. We found a small restaurant on the docks of the Chao Phraya River at Tha Tien. Tomorrow we would take the boat taxi up the river and explore Wat Pho and the Grand Palace. Tonight, we ate delicious Pad Thai and took a picture of Wat Arunratchawaaram. We had to take a cab to Hua Lamphong to get the MRT back to our hostel. We were both tired from so much exploring. Tomorrow is our last day in Bangkok. This trip is moving by crazy fast.
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