Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Well I have to say this has been quite a jump. The last time I wrote I was in Panajachel, Guatemala, and now I'm in Bangkok! To rapidly catch everything up, I stayed at my Dad's place in Gig Harbor for three weeks in December before catching a flight to Thailand with my sister. During those three weeks I managed to work at my bookstore in Gig Harbor, which I adore, decorate my old room with Christmas lights, talk to Pajaro back in Pana on the phone several times, survive the PNWs biggest windstorm in 13 years and, most important, see many of my friends and family. To all of you that I hung out with, I had a blast, I'm so glad we had some time together. Those of you I didn't, I'm so sorry we missed each other! I'll be back probably some time this summer and I can't wait to see you all then.
Now on to the last couple of days. My sister, Marilyn, and I arrived in the Bangkok airport after 21 hours in transit to be met by Courtney, a friend from Gig Harbor who is now a librarian at an international school here. My mom and her teaching partner, Becky, arrived several hours later and since then the five of us have been bopping around the city like we know what we're doing. (But we don't.) Courtney has been a fabulous host so far, allowing us to stay at her own apartment and being a wonderful tour guide. She knows all the usefull phrases, and even when she doesn't, the Thai know enough English (usually) to point us on our way. (Except for the toothless taxi driver who laughed at the four of us crammed in his backseat then dropped us on the wrong side of the river. oops!)
I have to say, the first thing we did would have been enough for me in Bangkok. We checked out the Grand Palace which was just so incredibly different than ANY OTHER ARCHITECTURE I've ever seen in Europe and Central America that I took more pictures before noon on my first day than I did in probably the fist 2 weeks in Guatemala. All the buildings were covered in colored mirrors and gold plating and its all just so absolutely gorgeous. The entire complex just sparkled in the sun, and the bells around all the roofs chimed every time a gust of wind went by. I could not stop staring. There, I also saw my first Buddha in Asia, the so-called Emerald Buddha dressed in a gold shawl-type thing. Oh man. This country is too cool.
Since right now I am actually due down at the pool I will hurry this up and say that we've checked out a couple of markets, gotten foot massages and typical thai massages, eaten tons and tons of Thai food, seen typical dancing and been on a dinner cruise. Not to mention going to a movie in a theatre made up of reclining red chairs with blankets and pillows. And all of this in just two days!
But now, to swim. Merry Christmas everyone! I already miss you and can't wait to see you again! For now, however, I will enjoy my buddhas. :) --->Natalie
- comments