Bangkok (or, how I learned to never complain about L.A. traffic)

Bangkok... where to begin? Becky and I arrived here at 2 a.m. after an 18 hour journey that took us through Taiwan, and in true backpacker style, we didn't even have a hotel reservation. Fortunately, the good people at Riverwalk Guest House (gratuitous shout-out) took us in at 3 a.m. without even asking us to pay. The world needs more people like that...

Anyway, like many giant cities in the world, when people refer to Bangkok as a "big, bustling city," they must really mean "overcrowded, noisy, and trash-filled city." Granted, I was only in Bangkok for 48 hours, which may not be a fair time to properly judge it, but when your overwhelming desire is to leave a city a mere 48 hours after spending 18 hours on a crammed 747 to get there, it's a sign...

But let's put aside the negative. Bangkok had some phenomenal things to see and experience. First and foremost, I was in the mood for some authentic Thai food. Sure, I wanted some pad thai and some curry, but after a late night of walking the streets and drinking, a feeling came over me that I couldn't sweep away -- I wanted to eat some bugs. And magically, as if some higher power (it must have been Buddha since I was in Thailand) had read my thoughts, there appeared seemingly out of nowhere a street vendor enticing me with fried grashopper and ... wait for it ... scorpion. I was sold the minute the cart lady said "rawhawbacafartrbahwa" (the Thai word for scorpion, or something like that)...

Having nurtured the stomach, it was time to nurture the soul. The Buddhist temples are simply amazing. We visited several in central Bangkok that are known for their architecture and Buddha sculptures. The reclning Buddha is apparently the largest in the world (about 150 feet long).



These buildings and sculptures are also part of the Grand Palace, the former residence of the King. The pictures don't even begin to do them justice.

There was much more to Bangkok -- a riverboat tour, a visit to a famous Buddhist shrine, almost becoming roadkill about 20 times -- but I'm keeping this post short. There'll be more to come in the future. Stay tuned...