Entry #4 - Rags to Riches in Bangkok; The Splendor Within

January 7, 2013

                  Having just reread my last journal entry I realize that I have gotten wrapped up with my reflection of the many faces of the city of Bangkok and have not mentioned much about all of the other things I have seen.  At the risk of looking past the features that have consumed my thoughts on the previous day I would now like to reflect on the great value of the culture that has revealed itself to me.  My initial perceptions have began to flow back and my seemingly pessimistic view of how the emergence of great wealth seems to corrupt rather than celebrate has subsided as I realize that it is more or less the way in which this twisted world operates.  It may be confusing sometimes but life is a hell of a ride and I am strapped in for its ups and downs.

                  Writing this entry after the fact of experiencing great new things is much like looking at a relationship with a woman, sure there are low points in every relationship but there are greater things in the grand scheme that cause you to look past the bad.  For me the experience of traveling to the Royal Palace of Bangkok and experiencing the stunning culture of the Thai people was one of the features to celebrate and I felt this feeling of astonishment that was much like looking into those eyes of the enchanted woman.  The palace was absolutely breath taking with numerous statues encased in gold and magnificent buildings decorated with cut and pieces stained glass.  It was unlike anything I have ever seen before and the hundreds of photos that I snapped do not even begin to do the place justice.  The Royal Palace is really something that everyone should experience firsthand at some point in his or her life.

                   In addition to visiting the royal palace and Wat Arun, I took a tour of the Chaopraya River that cuts through Bangkok and explored the multiple klongs (canals) that surround the outskirts of the city.  Seeing the ins and outs of this Venice of the East, I can say that I got a real look into the way in which people live in these riverside villages.  Most of the homes were underdeveloped and served as habitats of the poor but no matter what a particular family’s income may be, throughout the villages you could see that these families stick tight and no matter what struggles they are presented with; they live together and they thrive together.