Thailand

Entry #750
Monday, February 23, 2009

Lisa and I are in Thailand. Our friend's Terra and Patrick live in Bangkok, and Terra recently bore a wee lass named Hazel, so here we are. It's hot here -- apparently Bangkok has the hottest average temperatures of any city. At night it dips to 80 degrees (26 celsius) and in the day it's upper 90's and somewhat humid.

We've spent our first (of three) weeks in Bangkok, experiencing the city and the baby. Thai people are generally very nice, but they particularly love the farangs (white foreigners) with the little white baby. Thai babies don't leave the house for the first three months, so seeing a newborn in public is rare. Therefore, just about every single Thai person gawks, fawns, makes funny noises, touches baby feet, gives a "sniff kiss" on the cheek, etc. Women are particularly prone to outbursts, but even men and children LOVE the little white baby. It's particularly funny when Patrick is carrying the baby, and a half dozen enamored thai girls surround him in the cramped 7-11 (or "seh-vin") -- which you can tell he's not totally comfortable with. :)

We took a boat trip on the Chao Phraya River, and through some of the remaining khlongs, or canals. I was super intrigued by the khlongs, and spent a fair amount of time researching their history, and, by extension, the history of the Ayuthtaya Kingdom. It amazes me that these folks decided so early on that they could simply redirect existing rivers, and create new waterways at whim (labor was, and remains, cheap in the region). Bangkok was originally a water-based city, but in recent years, canals have been filled in to create a road- and congestion-based culture. Traffic is absolutely crazy here, particularly during rush hour.

I saw the biggest buddha I've seen to date, the impressive Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho temple. The architecture is ornate and amazing all around. Nearly every single building in Thailand has one, or more often two, spirit houses on the corner of the property. The larger the building, or the more spirits reside on the land, the larger the spirit houses.

Yesterday we visited Erawan Falls, which has seven levels of gorgeous waterfalls and wading pools. Limestone landscape can create stunning beauty. We also visited the Death Railway museum, Kanchanaburi Memorial, and the famous Khwae Yai River Bridge. Yet another reminder of the horrors of war, the inhumanity in the world, and the need to work on peace within and without oneself. I can't hold my tears in places like this. "For memory is the only friend that grief can call its own."

This morning, Lisa and I are getting on a bus to Cambodia. We plan on staying two days at Angkor Wat, a large temple complex that many folks consider a "wonder of the world." Patrick said it's one of the ten things to see before one dies, so that's that. I'd like to see the Killing Fields also, particularly as the first Khmer Rouge Tribunal got underway just last week. But it may be too far out of our way, and we may have had enough death and genocide for the week.

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Cool trip. Quite coincidentally, I'm going to Vietnam in 3 weeks. Hope to get to Cambodia too. Perhaps we can compare notes after.