Well, I'm in Bangkok now!

I made it here.  I almost missed my flight because I had it in my head that I was leaving on Wednesday.  But I was ARRIVING on Wednesday, so of course I had to be leaving on Tuesday!  I just happened to notice that little fact in time to get myself ready and to the airport!  

It was a LONG flight on United via Tokyo.  The plane didn't have seat-back screens (United must still be flying in the Middle Ages) and so it was a VERY long flight!  I had lots of New Republics to catch up on from the last 6 months (luckily) so I occupied my time that way.  From Tokyo to Bangkok was only about 6 hours, and I was exhausted to I slept.  That plane did have seat-back screens, but it wasn't on-demand movies.  This plane was from the Industrial Age - not exactly ancient technology but not exactly modern, either!  :-)

Anyway, here are a few views from the windows of the place I'm staying.

Yes, that's downtown in the FAR distance...

There are some really old interesting buildings here and there - temples, of course, and then old European-style buildings with balconies and arches...

The early morning traffic.  Where they're all going I don't know, and why they're all going just one way is another mystery!

This is right below my place.  Definitely this is a city of contrasts - I'm staying in a totally modern apartment on the 13th floor (well, 12A to avoid the unlucky 13) and right below the building is this....and it's live at night with people cooking and a dance club of some sort!

I don't know the name of the tower, but it's a traditional WAT.  There are lots of these around, and I'm sure I'll be putting many pictures up over the next two weeks.  I think that all wats have a sacred relic related to the Buddha in them.  I could be wrong on that, but I think that's right...

OK.  So on my first day I walked into town.  It was very interesting.  I'll take some pictures of the walk one of these days - it was very dark and cloudy that day so I didn't take anything until the afternoon when it sort of cleared up.  Anyway, after a long walk I crossed the river and saw this temple complex.

The green decorated tower on the right of the picture is a wat.

I sat for a while in the larger temple in the background.  There was a silent something going on there.  It was very relaxing and very refreshing to just let my mind wander where it wanted to while sitting there.  The sound and the feel of the fans, along with the sound of traffic in the background, made me think of summers sitting in Grandma Kendall's house in Salt Lake with the traffic roaring by on 7th East.  It was very contemplative.

I think this is going to be a great and relaxing holiday.  This place is a little farther away from things that I would have liked, and the SkyTrain stations close to this place aren't quite open yet (that's a sad thing...)  But there are taxis everywhere, and so for those time I don't feel like walking it's easy enough to get around.  But I like the walking - you can really see the people and the places you are in the middle of.  Everyone is cooking, so the air is full of amazing smells.  You can't walk more than a few steps without running into someone who is selling noodles, grilled meat, rice dishes, fruit, water, etc.  It's quite amazing!

Now I'm going to head out for the massive weekend market.  We'll see if I can find it!  And then not get lost in it.  And then find my way home.  Ciao!