Thailand Honeymoon: Bangkok

Day 1: Bangkok, Grand Palace, Siam Niramit Dinner & Show

Back on the plane, we were wired, as all the amazing things we saw in Dubai kept our conversation vivid. Consequently, the plane ride from Dubai to Bangkok was not wisely spent on catching a few more zzzs. As soon as we arrived in Bangkok, our friendly travel guide whisked us up, and the laughter was immediate. The people in Thailand are not only friendly, as widely branded, but funny! We laughed so much on this trip and enjoyed the people as much as the places. 

Finally arrived! And can change out o thees cloths we have had on for two days! 

electrical lines tell you a lot about a city, economy, poverty, etc 

Driving through this mega city of more than eight million, it wasn’t long before I saw myself talking about Bangkok in past lectures. There I am referencing the immense stats and impressing that this is a huge city, but now I could see myself in the future with wide eyes spinning around saying “in every direction you look you see Manhattan, it’s like seeing 20 cities inside one city, I have never seen anything like it….” 

We arrived at our hotel around 8 a.m. and had just under an hour to change, SHOWER, and eat breakfast. Mind you, we had spent the last two days on a plane, and I had not had more than seven hours of sleep. Why is it that men are so much better at sleeping on planes? "Tiered" was a major understatement here. 

Our first expedition was to see some of Bangkok’s most prized and historic monuments, primarily the Royal Gran Palace.  This expansive complex of royal residences, temples, and other buildings was home to the royal families from 1782 to 1925. Bangkok was once the capital of the Kingdom of Siam, which later became part of the great Kingdom of Thailand we know today. Some of my favorite things to see here were directly related to the monarchy. The Thai people love their royal family, and from our first taxi cab to our last, I continued to seek out (very carefully) any dislike or less than affectionate references to the monarchy.  This was simply to hear honest feelings from the people who live there since you often find what is told to tourists is not always the exact truth. So, I tend to ask the same questions repeatedly to see what the overall feeling is about national history, conflicts, beliefs, etc.  In this case, the people of Thailand showed instant joy when I asked about the King, Queen, and their daughters. Still, a few gave glimpses into the uneasiness surrounding the Crown Prince and his three marriages, strange requests of his wives, and other less-than-glorified actions that do not reflect the current, beloved King. 

But, back at the Palace, you can see the hall where the royal coronations occur, along with the thrones and other ceremonial aspects.  The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is also very famous, and we highly anticipated it. Yet, we laughed when we saw the little Buddha so high and far away. 

Overall, the Palace is a must for its history and the eclectic architecture built over 200 years under the direction of different kings.  After our four-hour tour, we were back at our hotel two hours before we headed out for a night of fine Thai cuisine and a world-famous show! I was so excited about seeing the Siam Niramit Show. It had been described as a beautiful story of the Kingdom of Siam's history through a Circ De Sole rendition, with over 150 artists and performers and 500 different costumes.  This is right up my alley!

We arrived at the show and had an hour to eat, and oh did we eat, the food in Thailand is incredible whether you are at a four start hotel, tiny hole in the wall, or in the alley behind your hotel (we tried all of these venues).  After eating three plates worth of food and the clock ticking to 7pm, we started to show our exhaustion. As we took our seats, I was immediately taken aback by the amazing show at the same level as the Circ De Soles I had seen, but unfortunately, I did not get the full history lesson I was hoping for. 

As we loaded into the car to return to our hotel, the other two couples from England were going on and on about the show and asking us how we liked it. George and I both said it was "incredible" and "we loved it" and agreed to any specifics they pointed out. When we got back to our hotel, I asked George, “Did you see the goats!” he said, “Ugh, no, I missed that part,” and he said, “Did you see the elephants?” We both lasted about twenty minutes and were sound asleep during the show. I woke up to amazing spectacles of lighting and water flooding the stage, goats being herded around, and other loud moments, but I could not keep my eyes open for more than a few minutes. Apparently, neither could George!  So we both caught each other trying to pull a “it was a great show,” but in reality, we were too tired and would have to return! 

I will never know why that was booked for our first night, but it was still a great memory and the start of an amazing time in Thailand.

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