Yesterday we visited the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi Province of Thailand (it borders the coast of Myanmar/Burma) and saw some World War II monuments/museums/etc.
To keep this brief (therefore giving me more time to explore Thailand), here is a list of things that have struck me as odd/interesting/both:
- Thai people are very religious and take the Buddhist faith seriously. Everyone, from the cosmopolitan shoppers at Siam Paragon to beggars on the street, wears amulets that protect them and offer all kinds of food/drinks/etc. to the Buddha Lord. It's not uncommon to see treets with trays attached full of foods and whatnot.
- Thai people are very serious about their king. You can be imprisoned if you talk poorly about the king or queen (even if you're a visitor) and there are pictures of the royalty everywhere. The king has been in power for over 60 years and even in the movie theatres they play the national anthem/show pictures of him and you must stand (that was a cool experience)!
- Thailand has a large sex community and it's not uncommon to see naked statues of women or men dressed as women (lady boys). A lot of western men come here to find love. Patpong, a district in Silom, has a mind-boggling red-light district full of flashing lights that advertise clubs called "super pussy" and "king pussy," etc. Ping Pong shows are easy to come by here (look it up, please).
- Tuk Tuk's are everywhere and are a major mode of transportation. You have to be careful on them because a lot of Tuk Tuk drivers will take you somewhere you don't want to go (say, a jewelry shop) in order to get a gas voucher!
- There is food everywhere and it is cheap, cheap, cheap. It's easy to eat for under $1 and be very full here! Wonderful! :)
Here are a few of my favorite pictures so far (at least from what I've uploaded). Note that none are edited in any way so they may not be spectacular!
A Thailand-infused Starbucks! How could I resist?!
This woman was selling some of the most odd-tasting things ever. They were dried, like banana chips but much thinner, and sweet with basil and other herbs. Yum!
The Condom Tree at the restaurant "Cabbages and Condoms" which has great food, by the way!
Some more delicious food - that's tofu in a hot/sweet/sour gooey sauce! :)
Coconut!
At the Grand Palace in Bangkok
Grand Palace/Wat Phra Kaew
Grand Palace again
Wat Phra Kaew
Expect 1-2 more updates from Thailand! I've got some CRAZY pictures of some tigers among other things!
3 sprinkles:
Again, your pictures ARE spectacular! Better than my edited ones! haha.
A condom tree? Interesting, indeed.
Thanks for the great update...keep using your time to EXPLORE! :)
This is all amazing [and now I'm craving your tofu dish]. I especially love the photo of the lone flower at the temple. Beautiful.
looks like you guys are having a GREAT time! Looking forward to your next blog!
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