Easter Weekend in the City of Angels – Part 2

As promised, here’s part 2 (you can click on the photos to make them bigger). Bangkok is totally different to the other places I’ve visited… it’s dirtier and smellier and seems to have suffered much more as a result of the Asia Financial Crisis in 1997 – with major building and transport projects left unfinished (huge empty tower blocks and bridges that go nowhere). Despite this, it’s still a great to place to explore.



Vimanmek Teak Palace & Ananta Samakom Throne Hall

Muay Thai… I’m no great fan of boxing, but several people told me I had to try to get to a Muay Thai (kick boxing) contest which is the traditional Thai martial art. So I made my way to Rajadamnern Boxing Stadium – and actually quite enjoyed it! The dance-like ritual before each match is fascinating to watch; it’s called “Wai Khru Ram Muay” and the fighters use it to pay homage to their teachers, parents and things they hold sacred and also pray for their safety and victory (it’s also an effective way of stretching and warming up before the fight!). There were 8 bouts each with 5 rounds of 3 minutes – but the time went surprisingly quickly even though all but a few went the whole way. As interesting as watching the fights was watching the spectators placing bets and cheering on their favourites – a different shout for each type of kick or punch.



Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute – the world’s second snake farm (opened in 1923) which produces antivenom for the thousands of snake bite victims in the region each year. I’m pleased to say that my snake phobia didn’t return!



Down the Mae Nam Chao Phraya… The river is at the very heart of the city and was supplemented by a large network of khlongs (canals) during the reigns of King Mongkut (aka Rama IV 1851-68) and King Chulalongkorn (aka Rama V 1868-1910) resulting in Bangkok sometimes being called the “Venice of the East”. It was King Mongkut who employed Anna Leonowens (of the King & I fame) to teach English in his court (including his son King Chulalongkorn). It appears that Anna made up much of her story and exaggerated the extent of her influence on the two kings (and then her story was the further fictionalised in the subsequent books, films and musicals) – so take what you think you know with a pinch of salt!

Other Bangkok highlights… a traditional Thai massage at the Wat Pho Traditional Massage School (apparently a world centre for therapeutic massage, but not for the faint hearted – as they say, no pain no gain… and a welcome escape from the midday sun!); the Chatuchak weekend market – a vast, mobbed, boiling area of tightly packed market stalls where you can buy pretty much anything…; a wander through the notorious Patpong area. And to finish, here’s some photos looking to the south from my hotel to complete the 360 panorama from part 1…