Bangkok Blitz-- January 9-13, Part 2

Hey! The pictures finally work, and I hope they add a bit more spice to the posts.

We Were Still Tourists, Cont'd

The Grand Palace

On Thursday morning, we road the Sky Train down to pick up a water taxi. Since the day was so hot, it was nice to zip across the water, up the river to the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace is a complex built a long time ago (how's that for accuracy?! hehe) where the king of Thailand used to live. It also houses the Emerald Buddha-- the main buddha of the country. [The Chinese buddha is very... uh, fat, but the Thai buddha is thin, so it didn't look like I expected it to. Note: The picture to the right is not the Emerald Buddha-- we weren't allowed to take pictures of Buddha.] I must admit, I wasn't all that impressed with the Grand Palace. Perhaps it's because I've lived my life surrounded by a slough of historical tourist spots. I was glad for the opportunity to see a big part of Thai culture and history, but what I'll remember most is our tour guide describing the Buddhist religion so matter-of-factly and seeing people bow down to the Emerald Buddha. It was really sad.

Jaki, our tour guide, was hilarious and made the tour fun. She practically forced us to buy drinks and ice cream and then go to the "Happy Room." She kept telling us to "shake a leg" and after each explanation, she would say, "Now you have time for click-click! [taking pictures]" After explaining to us the statute of the demons (who supposedly guard the Palace- go figure!), she told us of an American guy who said the statute was a reincarnation of his mother-in-law. She was so funny!


A Hospital or A Luxury Hotel?

Twice during the week, I had the opportunity to go visit Miss Krinny in the hospital. This particular hospital is world-renowed and could easily be mistaken for a luxury hotel. People from all over the world come there for care. We weren't even allowed to take pictures inside, should we accidentally photograph a Saudi prince. :) The lobby was just incredible, with employees standing by to meet your every need. Miss Krinny is so much fun and I enjoyed visiting with her. Hospital visitation was not something I expected to do on an international missions trip, but I'm so glad for the opportunity.

I think that about wraps up my first week in Thailand. Don't be surprised if I add something else, but hopefully, that covers the highlights.

- Julie -