Saturday

In spite of our poor night’s sleep Friday night, today’s private guided tour (while physically taxing) was delightful and offered us a perfect sampling of three key attractions. We met our tour guide, May, in the hotel lobby at 9 am  and spent a few minutes planning the day and then we were off.

We took the free hotel ferry across and up the river to what seemed to be the equivalent of grand central station for river ferries of all sizes and shapes. There are three public ferry lines, and May directed us to the one that would take us to the Grand Palace. While our timing for this visit could hardly have been worse (Saturday, 95 degrees, and the complex was to be closed in the afternoon for a coronation rehearsal for the king, so the sprawling complex was mobbed), it was still worth the effort. I will have to post some photos as I do not know where to begin to describe it. (Alas the main attraction of this site, the Emerald Buddha was closed due to the afternoon ceremony.)

May took us to a restaurant away from the crowds for a drink and a/c before we walked to Wat Pho, another amazing complex, this one known for a truely gigantic golden reclining Buddha with the huge toes made of mother-of-pearl inlay. There were many (394) gilded smaller golden Buddhas all around the complex. Also of note was an immense ordination hall where new monks are ordained - I hope I got a good shot of it.

We then took a Tuk-Tuk (a motorized krickshaw) zig zagging through the crowded streets to Jim Thompson’s House - and there is quite a story there. The highlights are the actual house (beautifully constructed of teak and filled with an amazing Asian art collection), the silk trade that made him rich, and his mysterious disappearance in Malaysia at the ageof 61. We ate a fine Thai lunch in the restaurant which is part of the museum complex and took a tour of the house. Then a free shuttle drove us a short distance to the entrance to the sky train.

We boarded a modern, air conditioned train and took it to the station where we could catch the free ferry back to our hotel - we parted ways with May before catching the ferry and were sorry to see her go. She was an excellent tour guide and delightful person to hang out with. We arrived back at the hotel around 3:45, soaking wet and exhausted, our heads spinning with Thai history and culture.

And made a beeline for the swimming pool.