Bangkok
Bangkok delights and stuns you from the first time you set foot on Thai soil. Tourists leaving the plane are struck by the modernity of the airport, only to then be enchanted by the peace and elegance of the temples. Then it deafens him with the noise of narrow streets filled with people, stalls and tuk-tuk rickshaws, only to soothe him with the sight of a lazily flowing river. It is the quintessence of Asianness, it pulsates with life, outrages and delights at the same time.
The impression of the lushness of the city's architecture is partly due to its... chaotic nature. Bangkok is crisscrossed by canals, which is why it is sometimes called the "Venice of the East" . There is no one precisely defined center, and the center is Rattanakosin - an island with numerous attractions of the Old Town. Tourists will probably also visit the Shanghai-like Chinatown district and the Pahurat Indian district. Virtually around every turn we enter a different world.
City of temples
Those who came to Bangkok in search of clearing the mind and getting to know the famous temples dripping with richness of decorations will be delighted. The first place is, of course, taken by the most famous, grandest and most delightful Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew), which is part of the Grand Palace. It's not actually a temple, but a huge temple complex, which consists of palaces with domes shining in the sun, decorated pillars and golden hooks sharply piercing the sky. Each of the numerous richly decorated chapels and each mosaic column delights. There is no other place in Bangkok, indeed in the whole of Thailand, so filled with splendor and architectural skill.
In the center of the complex there is a bot - a temple with a huge hall with six doors guarded by lions. Inside, among exquisite decorations and frescoes, a stately Buddha sits on a magnificent throne. His figure is dressed in a robe appropriate to the season - for example, during the rainy season he wears a gilded robe. Despite its small size (75 cm high), the figure located on the multi-stage altar is one of the most important representations of the Enlightened One in the entire country. For tourists, a visit to Wat Phra Kaew is the main point on the list of attractions to be seen, while for Thais it is the most important temple in Thailand, a place of prayer and concentration.
Also noteworthy is the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun), standing on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River. It can be reached by express boat or ferry. Many call it the symbol of Bangkok, which is not surprising - it is not as impressive as Wat Phra Kaew, but it arouses admiration with its originality of construction, soaring height and attention to detail. Its slender tower, 104 meters high, can be seen from a distance, as can its four smaller turrets, which are between 80 and 85 meters high. The walls of the main prang (tower) are embellished with elaborate decorations made of broken porcelain. We can see similar motifs on the Chinese statues surrounding the temple. The closer we look, the more we see delightful details in the floral patterns running along the façade and the figures supporting the structure. Tiring our eyes with an excess of motifs and colors may suggest that it is too much and is becoming kitsch, but let's not listen to it.
Khao San Road never sleeps
In the city center there is a short but extremely noisy street - Khao San Road . It's really worth watching your wallet here. It's not about theft, but about the fact that the Thais create countless opportunities for tourists to make purchases, sometimes persuading and encouraging them to exceed their eagerness level. People who have problems with assertiveness may notice the phenomenon of a "leaky wallet" - money will flow out of it and you won't know when there are only a few satangs left in it.
On this lively street, we will bargain for a T-shirt, eat a dish whose ingredients are better left unchecked (we will sleep more soundly), and we will also meet many people offering cheap accommodation. There are many travel agencies here, so it is a good starting point for further trips. The city's nightlife takes place around the bustling Khao San Road - it is impossible to count all the pubs, pubs, cafes and music clubs located here. There is also no shortage of massage parlors, and someone who likes to come up with spontaneous ideas can leave this noisy area with a more or less original tattoo. It's hard to believe that just 1 km away there is a completely different place - the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
T-shirts, souvenirs and... gender reassignment surgery
Half-jokingly, half-seriously, there is a controversial topic on travel forums - a large number of transvestites and transsexuals offering their company to visitors. As one Internet user writes, "you can have a few delicious drinks with Thais here, you just have to be careful because the girl may not be a girl at all." It is impossible to deny that such things happen, everyone can draw their own conclusions from it. Thailand is a leader in medical tourism , and among the services offered by local surgeons, gender reassignment surgeries are very popular. Those interested come from all over the world, especially since Bangkok is home to one of the most modern private hospitals in the country - Bumrungrad International Hospital. Therefore, it can be perversely said that the trans people we meet so often are a kind of advertising.
To sum up, Bangkok is a city of many opportunities. Everyone will find what they are looking for here - whatever that may sound like. What is certain is that we won't be able to see all its attractions in a weekend or even in a week. We can end here with a statement from one of the users of a forum devoted to tourism: "After three months, you will either run away and never come back, or you will fall in love so much that you can no longer live without it.
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A writer by profession, a passion of a cat. One day he will see what is behind the Urals - good to Vladivostok. So far, when he can, he enjoys the sun of the countries of southern Europe. And it's also fun;)
