First we want to show you a few street pictures. We actually managed to photograph a few empty square meters on the street. 😉 Usually not an intoxicating motif. Here it is, because it is so rare. You can also see a few skyscrapers. 😉 Bangkok now has over ten million inhabitants and is still growing.
The third picture is intended to illustrate how dangerous life is for pedestrians here. The pedestrian (with hat and backpack) fills the narrow “sidewalk” so that you have use the street if you want to pass one another. It is not so narrow everywhere, but there are a multitude of stumbling blocks anywhere you are going. Since pedestrian lights are rather rare, and pedestrian crossings (if any) are basically ignored by motorized traffic, we have adopted a strategy when we have to cross a street. We hold hands and wait for locals we can follow. When we are alone, the most important thing for us to remember is to look to the right first. I still sometimes forget that, then tires squeak or one of these crazy mopeds races through behind me. But we also have to point out: “We have never seen a single accident.” Above all, people here can confidently assess the width of space available to them – and all at high speed. It only gets slower when you have to fold in the mirror to get past. 😉 What comes to mind: We haven’t seen a single dog yet. As far as we know, it is actually not on the menu in Thailand. 😉
The waterways are not as clean as in Venice. ;-( We therefore decided not to take a boat trip. The picture with the imaginative electrical wiring shows how it often looks in the side streets. Not only a German electrician’s hair stands on end. It is also fitting that we come back to our hotel room after a quick 30-minute supper at a food stand to find it dripping from the ceiling. The air conditioning had broken. At 34 °C outside temperature and 92% humidity not exactly pleasant. And having to pack up and change rooms at 9:00 p.m. was also no pleasure. The next morning the manager bowed ten times with what felt like a thousand apologies, which we of course didn’t understand; but what we both understood very clearly was this: a free breakfast at the buffet for both of us. And that was so good that we almost began to feel ashamed of our angry reaction the night before, but – breakfast good, all good .
Only one impression has always been the same since our arrival: people are friendly and smile at you. Not only the bellboy, but also the tailor couple on the street who is just having lunch and is happy that a tourist admires the sewing machine.
Some say Bangkok has little more to offer than the Royal Palace. This is a little unfair, but because there is so much to see in Thailand, we limit ourselves to this highlight. And the “Grand Palace” is undoubtedly a highlight. Not only the architectural style of the buildings, but especially the huge statues of different figures are absolutely impressive for a European.
I will not to comment on the rest of the pictures. I refer those interested in culture to the numerous travel guides. However, I do not want to withhold a description that I read here in Bangkok, because when I read it I really wish that our politicians might take these to heart. 😉
The frescoes on the square cathedral show the Siamese idea of the Vedic deities of India, who are worshiped as guardians of the universe. Among them are ten royal virtues that a monarch must follow:
Giving (Danam), right guidance (Silam), personal willingness to make sacrifices, material and spiritual (Pariccagam), sincerity and freedom from hypocrisy (Ajjavam), kindness and humanity (Maddavam), concentration on the essentials (Tapam), freedom from anger and anger (Akkodham), freedom from malice (Avihimsah), patience (Khanti), avoiding mistakes (Avirodhaam).
If you want to see some pictures,