Arrived into Bangkok airport and we were met by someone from the hotel who escorted us to our car service. Waiting for us were cold wash cloth scented with lemongrass and a cold bottle of water. Bangkok is truly an interesting city. The juxtaposition of stunning buildings, homes, temples and then huts/shacks is like nothing I have ever seen before. Our hotel, Marriott Spa and resort is a bit away from city center but is an oasis away from the craziness of Bangkok. Our first venture into the city began with a boat ride on the hotel shuttle to the Central pier where we transferred onto the public express boat To get to the Old City. Our first sight seeing stop was Wat Pho which has the reclining Buddha in the temple. It was stunning. There were many beautiful chedis and other buildings in this compound. Our plan was to visit the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo next but we were side tracked on the way by many "Thai" friends trying to tell us we could not get into the Grand Palace till after 2 pm. This started an unexpected adventure of 3 hours in a tuk-tuk visiting some other temples including the one with the lucky Buddha which is made of alabaster and the Wat Rachapradit. Outside Wat Rachapradit we were approached by 3 young women from university who for a class had to interview a native English speaker. They filmed me while they each took turns asking me simple questions in English like what is your name, where do you live, do you like Thai food, what is your favorite thing about Thailand,.. They were very sweet and afterwards took a picture with Jen and I. Our tuk-tuk tour also included stopping at 4 different stores/export centers since it was a tax free day and the drivers got 5 liters of free gas if they brought customers to all 4 stores. We saw some beautiful jewelry and were taken to two tailors where they can make you suits, pants, blouses,... Prices are amazingly cheap. We ended out tuk-tuk tour and proceeded into the Grand Palace despite being told by at least two Thai "friends" that there were no tickets left or that it was closed. There is always someone looking to scam you to make money. The Grand Palace grounds, chedis, and the Wat Phra Kaeo were magnificent. The emerald Buddha and the gold Chedi were particularly striking. The lotus blossoms and water to bless one another before entering the Wat was a nice way to cool down. By the time we finished our tour of the Grand Palace and Wat we were melting. In the walk back to catch the boat we had another Thai friend tell us that the Wat Pho was closed since it was in direction we were walking. Jennifer decided that anytime we are told something is closed we are heading in the right direction. The trip back down the river was enjoyable and when we got the Marriott boat back to the hotel, we were given the cold lemongrass scented wet washcloths. Jen and I both agreed that this was one of the many highlights of the day. We enjoyed a snack and cocktails at the hotel bar by the pool; 2 for the price of one cocktails, satay and spring rolls. Jennifer spotted a rather large lizard sitting on the ledge of the water pond we were sitting by. She was enamored by it and took a picture of it while it seemed to pose. She did not think it was so cute when it dived into the pond and swam across it fortunately not in our direction. It proceeded to get out of the pond and walk right under the pool lounges of some unsuspecting guests. Jen had that lizard on her mind while we proceeded to go into the pool. After relaxing a bit we had some wonderful Thai food at the hotel restaurant.
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