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BANGKOK THE CITY WITH THE LARGEST SOLID GOLD BUDDHA IN THE WORLD.

I love Bangkok the capitol of Thailand its wonderful, beautiful gentle people. , I awakened exhausted and jet-lagged at the famous Bangkok airport my Hotel still over 2 hours 30 minutes drive away and our driver had apparently gone for a walk, we were left alone at an airport where you simply melt with the humidity.

The temperature outside must have been about 110 degrees! I realized that without the driver to take us to the planned hotel we were at the mercy of the throng of other drivers looking for fares, and called for help to a local policeman How embarrassing to realize that we were just sitting in the heat being stare at by everyone wondering what the hell we were doing there, sweating like pigs in a over hot spa.

To scared to leave our appointed waiting place for our hotel pick up vehicle in case we missed it we just sat in what ever shade we could find. Only to find that shade full of tourists doing the same thing so we took turns in standing in the sun and the going back into the shade again.

Finally our driver turned up with excuses a mile long, he was a lather of sweat having stood in the wrong place and holding the cardboard placard with our names on over his head for some shade, no wonder we missed him!

How wonderful to sit in a nice vehicle relaxing in the cars air conditioning. Every hour the car would be stopped and we had a chance get out for drink but no toilets they only toilets are behind the nearest skinny coconut palms in full view of the local kids who had big grins on their faces and probably a old camera stolen from some unsuspecting tourist. Instant Polaroid photos were shown to us and cost us 5 dollars to get back of our using the coconut tree toilets otherwise these photos would do the rounds of the local villages for a laugh on there many nights of festivals.

Bangkok is crowded full to overflowing with a mixture of very few English speaking people except the tourists but they do not even know the area so your stuck with a lot of pointing and gestures as to what's where and where's what !

You can buy anything in Bangkok the capitol of Thailand one of the most beautiful places left on this earth that has very friendly native population.

The Temples are spectacular especialy make a point to visit the solid gold Buddha weighing in at 5 ton. The story goes that it was covered in concrete during the korean war to stop it being stolen until a local native over zealous in his cleaning of he statue knocked a piece of the concrete covering revealing the solid gold underneath, how marvelous a site for everyone!

We reached out hotel in 2 and a half hours of driving in very heavy traffic where road rules exist but no one takes much notice of them. Roads have a proliferation of signs on both side for various product including condoms so your chances of seeing the sites while driving are very limited except for the head of your driver moving from side to side trying to get you to your destination in once piece.

Thailand is beautiful and well worth the visit but if your not a lover of the heat and humidy please go some where else as its a country that swelters night and day.

Prices are cheap compared to most places in the world we have been to. Its so clean everywhere its spotless, the locals take great pride in keeping their country that way. Eating out is a joy with such a huge selection of really fresh seafood that is kept alive in tanks of saltwater being pumped in out of the local sea.

Nights are never dull no ones seems to sleep, you can wander all down the streets and never find a dull moment. No one pesters you to buy their products not like some countries and its safe to walk anywhere at night but be careful of the Elephants which have right of way even on the sidewalks. Be advised to be careful what you step in if wearing sandals as they do take some cleaning after stepping into elephant dung!

Summary.

Go there, enjoy the sites the sounds and soak up the atmosphere you will find no other place on this earth as good as this beautiful country and it beautiful friendly people. Long let it always stay that way and may its royal family preside over this lovely country for always!

My husband returned and eagerly wanted to show me the funniest set of stairs he had ever seen - short and very shallow, could only fit about 2/3 of my foot on the actual step. We laughed at the red sign above the stairs saying, "beware your step" with a picture of a tumbling body. Then I promptly took a header down the whole flight! Also my first day, in Bangkok we were picked up by a taxi in the sweltering heat. The driver was missing fingers on both hands, and his car was desperate for some maintenance, but we still had to comment on his joyful disposition. This guy was just the most pleasant, helpful man and his spirit just shone. His air con was only cooling the front of the car, and he could see us sweating in back, and so he began to gracefully take his left hand, with its missing fingers, and scoop the cold air up as it left the a/c vents, and then swirl his wrist around so as to push the cold air back to us in the back of his cab. It was a most beautiful, giving thing. I wish we had known then how much we would come to love this story about this man, as it typifies our experiences with the Thai people. For the good he did our hearts, we wish we had tipped him a week's wages.