Bangkok trip :)

We're back from Bangkok! 5 days of intense heat, lots of walking and lots of eating! I'm happy to report that even if my husband is totally averse to hot weather anywhere, he had fun in Bangkok :) Yay!

Some highlights:

1. We went on a temple hop around Bangkok, and I finally got to see the Emerald Buddha (a misnomer because the Buddha statue inside is actually made of jade. People then didn't have a sophisticated understanding of stones and anything green was just called an emerald). I love love love the Emerald Buddha. It simply took my breath away. Photo-taking wasn't allowed inside. You can only take shots through an open pillar in front of the temple, but even then your camera will only be able to capture the Buddha in a golden sort of light, not in its jade glory. I loved it, as I said, not only because it's so majestic and beautiful, but more because I felt such a sense of peace and an unexplained happiness when I was sitting inside the temple and just gazing at it. I read about it before the trip and had been wanting to see it more than any other sight in Bangkok, and I'm so happy we did!

2. We also got to see the Grand Palace - where the king used to hold office and where he still maintains private quarters. It's the size of 2 football fields!

3. On our way back, we found ourselves in the middle of a royal-family procession (well, they were really just going back to the palace from someplace else). Good thing we had a guide too, because otherwise, we wouldn't have known that we were supposed to stop walking and just stand in attention. I also wouldn't have known that I wasn't supposed to keep holding up my umbrella, as it can be misconstrued as a weapon! I would've been arrested :p Hehehe. It was cool to witness that whole thing. Thai royal police keep close surveillance of the street and they stop traffic to make sure the road is completely cleared. The convoy that was used to "transport" the royals was also done really impressively - makes me think that Pinoys have it all wrong and un-professional. Hehe.

4. We also went to Ayutthaya and saw the ruined temples. The last one was my fave (I'll post pics on FB) and I loooooooved the lunch we had overlooking the river. Such a peaceful place. I love how Thai people were able to preserve as much of their historical sites as possible, and the way that they revere their king is so admirable! I made the mistake of asking our guide "so what does your king do?" He looked a bit shocked that I would even dare wonder about such a thing and said "he devotes his entire life to the people!" Hay. If only we would exude even just 10% of that admiration towards our leaders.

5. Oh and the shopping! Dennis had a lot of fun shopping and if you can believe, he outshopped me about 2:1. Intense! Well, we also found a Kinokuniya there, which is Dennis' happy place, so that also meant a lot of shopping for him. But apart from books, I was so proud of him to have braved Chatuchak Market with me and even happily went about bargaining with the vendors. He also went to MBK with me and waited patiently as I went to my favorite outlet to buy.... underwear! Secret tip: Go to BKK and buy bras and panties at MBK. It's the cheapest Wacoal stuff I've ever found anywhere in the world. They have a wide selection and you can fit the bras too! Winner! :)

6. I gained weight, as I shared so generously over Twitter. Haha! I blame it on the Thai food that needs substantial amount of rice, due to the heat they pack, and the Thai iced tea that I so so so so love! I also discovered a traditional Thai appetizer that's oh-so-yummy! I heart tamarind sauce!!! :)

7. Thai massage - thumbs up! I fell asleep about 3/4s of the time. Haha!

It was a good 5-day trip. We got to do a little bit of everything and the hotel we stayed at was really good value! The room was comfortable and the hotel was a short 3-minute walk to the BTS. And the price! Our room was about 2,600 pesos per night only, WITH breakfast! As they say, "saan ka pa?" :p

Oh and last tidbit: I was wondering why the locals were looking at me in a fascinated sort of way, until our guide told me it's because I resemble a Thai celebrity who does soap operas. Haha!

Loooooved Bangkok thoroughly! Such a relief too, because my previous trips were for work and were mostly confined to meetings. I would love to go back :)