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Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom and Samut Sonkram in Thailand, 2005:

Siam, the old name of Thailand, can always be remembered by the 50s movie -albeit, fictional- classic, "The King and I" which starred the late Yul Brynner. These days, Thailand had come a very long way to become one of Southeast Asia's booming economies as well as a very popular tourist destination. You can tire yourself out by simply checking out several of the more than 4,000 Buddhist temples (yes, Buddhism is the main religion) that dot the entire country. Or, shop yourself to death in the ubiquitous markets that crowd the city of Bangkok. Go, and sample the street foods while "tuk-tuk" drivers beckon you to check out the city aboard their 3-wheeled contraption.

Bangkok, the capital, was balmy even at the very early hours of morning the day we arrived. Yet, the place easily elicited a mixture of the old and new when, en-route to our hotel, old Buddhist temples stood side by side with modern high-rise buildings along newly-built freeways. It is also a place where, in the early mornings, barefooted Buddhist monks with pots strapped to their waists, wander the entire city for generous souls that will provide their food for the day. Note: they don't beg --people simply beckon them and place the food (or, "offering") into their pots and a short prayer is exchanged between parties.

We visited the Traimitwitthayaram Temple where the Sukhothai Traimit Golden Buddha (the largest golden Buddha image in the world) is housed; the Wat Po (the new name is Wat Phra Chetuphon), famous for the massive "reclining Buddha" as well as a sprawling courtyard that houses 95 chedis. They are decorated with ceramic tiles and three dimensional ceramic pieces which form intricate floral patterns. We also stopped by a leather factory and a huge jewelry factory/shop that offered a bit of relief as our bus meandered gingerly along the streets of this exotic city in the almost 40 degrees Celsius heat.

Away from bustling Bangkok, we traveled west for about 2 and a half hours to the town of Samut Sonkram where the Tha Ka Floating Market is situated. We briefly stopped by a market in Samut Sakhun to shop for fruits - "lanzones", "mangosteen", "rambutan", "durian", "langka" (jackfruit) as well as local varieties of melon, cantaloupe, pomelos and mangoes are in abundance. Heading back, we stopped by a handicraft/teakwood carving factory as well as the Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo in Nakhon Pathom where we also had our lunch buffet. Despite the heat, the place offered a bit of relief as gentle breezes occasionally fan the area specially near the orchidarium.

In the end, the city of Bangkok is, still, where all roads lead to. Traffic had made touring the entire city a burden, but people don't seem to mind it. Like the ceramic temples inside the Wat Po, the eclectic mix of people and culture that pour upon the place each day, makes it a haven for any person who likes to ponder on the intricacies of life.

Sawasdee, Thailand!!!

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