Tuesday Jan 13

I slept well, the massage did wonders.

The nice thing about travelling solo is a complete freedom what to do, and when.

This morning I got up at 8, had breakfast and went back to bed till 10.

I decided to take a tuktuk  to Wat Po, the home of the Reclining Bhudda. I agreed on a price with the driver, but he told me it was closed from 11 to 1. He suggested that, for the same price he would show me a couple of other sights, so that we would arrive at Wat Po at 1. Same price. This seemed like a good deal, except that he didn't mention that he also made a couple of stops along the way, one a fancy tailor shop, the other an expensive jewelry and leather goods store. I resisted all temptations, although I did appreciate the crocodile leather handbags, but for 1000 dollars I felt I should have got the entire crocodile; hard to get through customs though.

For every customer they bring the driver gets a free gas coupon, and probably a commission if you buy something.

The advantage of taking a tuktuk  is that they are faster than a car. Traffic conventions are mere suggestions. If there is a long line of cars going your way, just use the lanes coming towards you, and squeeze in when a car comes towards you. Oh, I forgot to mention that they drive on the left in Thailand. Good thing to know when you cross the road.

The nice thing about the ride was that I got to see a bit of Bangkok away from the tourist sites. Bangkok is much nicer than any other large South Eastern Asia city I have been to. There is much less pollution, and the streets are much cleaner. You can safely walk at night, not like any Indian city, where the street lights are dim, or not existing, and you never know what you are stepping into. Cows may be sacred, but they are not housebroken.

I finally arrived at Wat Po, and surprise, surprise, it's open all day.

Wat Po is primarily known as the temple with the Reclining Bhudda. This is quite the statue, 150  feet long, the feet are 10 feet long. The statue is covered with gold, and it is impressive. The soles of the feet are covered with 108 beautiful signs of the Bhudda, all in mother-of-pearl.

What surprised me was that it is only a part of a large complex, which was Thailand's first " university". It was, and still is, a Bhuddist centre of healing, run by monks. You can get massages by the monks, at twice the price everywhere else.

There are statues of Bhudda showing various positions to heal pain, in different temples. Overall it was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Back to bed. In the evening I walked the neighbourhood. This definitely tourist central. The side street all become pedestrian only. The streets are wall to wall restaurants, hotels, hostels, many with massage parlours, in the street. I think I mentioned that there were three by my hotel. I miscounted, there are more than a dozen on my block.

In front of the restaurants are the street vendors, where you can buy any kind of food, Thai, Chinese, Indian, pizza, even falafels. There are also delicacies such as deep fried crickets, other insects, and larvae. In addition you can buy beer in cans, bottles or mugs, right on the street.

Did I mention the just about every bar has a loud band playing non-stop.

Lots of crowds, it's like the Canadian Exhibition, but with alcohol. This keeps going till 4 am.

Earplugs are absolutely necessary.