My first day in Bangkok, I took a taxi to the guest house that I had reserved. A guest house is like a small boutique hotel, usually cheaper than a big hotel. It was 600 baht a night = about $20 American dollars.
The only problem was the taxi driver could not find the place even though I had the address. Finally, because he could not understand my English or my Thai, he gave up and dropped me off at a police station. Now, for the first time, I felt very alone in a city of 12 million people. Not knowing exactly what to do, I went into the station with hopes that someone could speak a little English… finally one dispatcher was able to understand a bit and we called for more information, then in true Thai hospitality an officer gave me a ride on his police motor cycle…. flashing lights and all, to the Tonaor Place. Outside a Goddess welcomed me and I was pleasantly surprised to find a nice clean room with air-conditioning, TV, refrigerator, table and chairs, a full size bed, western toilet and hot water shower. There was even a massage spa and nail salon next door. Finally a place to rest before exploring Bangkok!
The next day, in true tourist style I set off to explore the city, maps in hand of the subway, sky-train and “what to see in Bangkok” guide. There is so much to do and so many places to see that two weeks just made a dent. However I will attempt a few highlights:
Probably the most famous and widely recognized landmark is the Wat Phra Kaew and Grand Palace of the King. The complex covers 218,000 square meters and is surrounded by four walls 1900 meters in length… grand it is!
To the north of the Royal Residence is the Royal Monastery where the renowned Emerald Buddha is on display. This is the most sacred object to the Buddhist of Thailand. It is carved from a single piece of Jasper (Jade) and 61 cm high, (about two feet), contrary to many people thoughts it is a very small Buddha and not made of Emerald. It sits under a Thai style canopy on a gilded pedestal. Only the King changes Buddha's gem encrusted robes, with a different robe for each of the three seasons, hot, cool, and rainy.
On another day wandering through one of the many street markets I somehow managed to get my wallet stolen, lucky for me not my passport, and only a small amount of cash.
So then I set out to find a quiet green meditative respite in the vibrant city of crowds, traffic, noise and pollution.
I took the surprisingly clean and fast subway to Lumphini Park. The park sits in the middle of the city, much like Central Park in Manhattan, New York. It even has little paddle boats on the lake with the Bangkok skyline surrounding the park.
Being a Rotarian I wanted to visit Rotary in Bangkok, which I did. Had I decided to stay and teach in Bangkok, the decision of which club to join would have been difficult. I enjoyed the three lunch clubs I attended and felt most welcome at them. They are all doing good things locally and internationally.
Two of the clubs met at inside the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Outside the hotel stands the Erawan Shrine where the air is filled with the aromatic haze of incense. Both locals and tourists alike visit the shrine and offer flowers and prayers to the four-headed Brahma, God of creation.
While in Bangkok I also went to a Bangkok Teachers Network conference ... over 500 English teachers, most were teaching at International schools. The keynote speaker was Dr Art-ong Jumsai Na Ayudhya.
He is the official trainer of Teachers for the Ministry of Educatiion in Thailand, specializing in human values education. In addition to several award winning books, including “Path to Peace”, he also worked on the automatic landing device for NASA’s Viking Space Project. He gave a most inspirational message which included, “ I Want Peace.” Dr Art-ong suggested we get rid of the “I” and then get rid of the “Want” and then we will be left with, PEACE!
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