Chiang Mai

Our second full day in Chiang Mai was spent with various activities.  Thai monks are mendicants and live on food given to them early each morning.  So the vanguard of the photo group headed out pre-dawn to CM gate market to capture the event. It was really a great “behind the curtain” connection experience.  There were certainly no other tourists around.  There were food stands set up for the specific purpose:  people wandered in, bought a bag of food, and waited.  The first monk appeared about 6:30.  Several supplicants offered up their gifts.  In return the monk blessed them and chanted for a couple minutes.  I bought some “donation food” and proffered it to the next monk.  He seemed not to miss a beat over my being a farang (foreigner), only adding a smile for me at the end.  It gave me a warm feeling to participate - and there was absolutely no sense that I was not welcome to join in.  Soon there was a fairly steady stream of the saffron-robed men.  Later on two monks engaged us.  The second spoke English well and had lived in Texas for a while.  Both wanted to know where we were from, what we were doing in CM, and were we enjoying Thailand.  Very cool. Later that morning the majority of the group participated in a Thai cooking class.  They were taken to the market to buy ingredients and spices, then returned to the school to learn how to prepare 3-4 dishes.  I left them to their teachers and wandered the historic center capturing sound recordings and images for future Sightcasts.  I recorded the van and Tuk Tuk drivers and their steady offers of “transport?”or “where you go?” and photographed the two main wats.

In the afternoon we organized Songthaews (literally “two benches”, the pickup trucks with two benches and a covering, the predominant transport in CM and rural Thailand) to take us to the CM Flower Festival.  There were some nice displays and some Thai dancing, but not the explosion of color I’d hoped for.  Apparently, the big day was the next (our departure day) when they have a flower float parade.  But it was still a fun look at a local celebration and fun to peruse the food stalls.  I had the best sticky rice and mango of the trip.

That evening, for those interested, Ae and I took them to a Moo Kata restaurant.  Equal parts warehouse production, giant buffet line, and "cook it yourself” extravaganza, this is a true Thai curtain experience.  Each table is equipped with a cooking station.  The attendant brings hot coals, and an inverted bunt cake shaped lid with a perforated dome in the middle is placed over the heat.  Broth is poured in the “moat” and you are ready to cook.  Ae gave us the rundown of the raw foods on the buffet:  squid, shrimp, fish, eel, pork, liver, chicken, beef; vegetables and noodles; and on and on and on.  You cook the proteins on the dome and the juices run down to flavor the broth.  Vegetables and noodles are placed in the trough to make soup.  Like the best travel food experiences, it is not just a great meal, but a true culinary experience.  A dessert table rounds out the evening - all for a reasonable price.

Chiang Mai - Homestay visit

On this year’s tour we repeated our village visit to the countryside.  We departed about 9:30 and our first stops were three of the craft villages east of Chiang Mai. We did silk, lacquer ware, and the famous Bo Sang paper umbrella village.  These stops were far from “behind the curtain” activities, but very fun, colorful, and photogenic.  Next stop, the hot springs where we cooked eggs in the thermal waters and had a wonderful picnic.  During free time Tom, Debbie, and I opted for Thai massage where we laughed and “bow-bowed” (bow bow is Thai for gentle) our way through an hour‘s pleasure. We moved on to the homestay, the same as our last tour.  For those inclined, Ae led a bike ride through the countryside. We visited a local temple, a mushroom farm, and the handicrafts cooperative.  That evening we enjoyed northern-style Kantok dinner, accompanied by the local headmaster and his students playing Thai music for us.  The music was not very professional, but the authentic “curtain” connection experience and engagement with the kids was priceless.  After dinner we retreated to the garden for Thai dance (again by the local students) and the Thai floating lantern ceremony.  Annually, the Thais hold the Loi Katon festival of lights all over the country.  It started as a ceremonial thanksgiving to the river spirits (floating lanterns) but eventually expanded to supplication to the spirits of the air as well.  Our hosts filled and launched two huge, paper lanterns, essentially providing us with our own private Loi Katon experience.  We watched as they drifted high into the night sky, finally blinking out after several minutes and several hundred feet of altitude.  A fitting end to another good day in this amazing country.

Historic Sukhothai

This tour’s visit to Sukhothai was improved by staying very close to the site.  Before relaxing with a free afternoon, we spent our morning at Sukhothai Historical Park.  We chose bicycles for getting around, augmented by a couple of Tuk-Tuks for those declining the pedal.  I loved the freedom the bikes gave us and we visited more temples than last time.   particularly liked Wat Sri Sawai with its Khmer-style corncob spires.  We concluded our visit to Sukhothai at Wat Si Chum and the huge seated Buddha fairly bursting out of his mondop.  The Buddha’s hand is entirely golden, having been an object of Thai veneration for generations (they believe rubbing some gold leaf onto a Buddha with bring good luck and/or illumination in time of need.  The shiny gold and beautifully tapered fingers are a favorite photographic subject.  The hardy and committed had gotten up early for photographing.  I love the excitement of running from vantage point to vantage point, looking for the best angle before the “golden hour“ passes and the light gets too direct.   An informal photo club of between 4 and 6 has emerged - always ready to get up early or return again late when worthwhile sights are accessible.   The pre-dawn photo foray made for a great start to Sukhothai. The Legenda resort is a lovely compound of smart bungalows surrounding a lagoon.  Fountains spray, strands of lights twinkle in the evenings, and picturesque bridges connect the several bungalow areas.  A pool and adjacent bar complete the perfect venue for some R&R.  As a bonus, an outlying temple, Wat Si Chom, is essentially in our backyard.  In the evening the hotel hosted a classic Thai dance performance.  It was visually pleasing, elegant, and short:  a perfect introduction for westerners.  I loved the Thai desserts on offer that night and a couple made it on to the breakfast buffet:  coconut pancakes (kanom krok) and coconut/rice “golf balls” (kanom babin).  Ae tells me Thais eat sweets any time of day, including breakfast.

Ayuthaya

On this year’s tour we opted for staying one night in Ayuthya instead of making it a day trip as in the past.  Great decision and one to be repeated on all future tours.  We saw so much more and had better opportunities for photographing.  The strategy allowed us to add two temples to our visit which we saw first and last.  The first, Wat Phu Khao Thong , actually built by the Burmese, was finished off by Narasuan, a great Siamese king from the 16th century.  It boasts a huge, square base and a striking, sharp prang.  It cuts an impressive profile rising above the flat plains of the region. Narasuan’s patron animal was the rooster, so the entrance to the temple is “guarded” by huge, brightly-colored roosters.  Its quite a sight.  Thais wishing to venerate him bring rooster effigies as votive offerings.  Next we crossed over the river to the island section of Ayuthaya Historical Park and visited Wat Si Sanphet with its three distinctive stupas.  In the adjacent vendor “village” Ae explained and treated us to Roti Sai Mai, a favorite Thai sweet.  Sweet crepes are filled with strands of spun sugar, all made by hand.  We also “bought” caged birds to be released.  Buddhists can make merit by releasing captured animals.  A veritable cottage industry has sprouted up around temples - selling turtle and fish in bags, birds in cages, and bread for feeding fish (another way to make merit).  Like last time we had a pleasantly cool rice barge lunch on the river.  Gently drifting by modern wats, local homes, and stately Wat Chai Wattanaram.  Next was classic Mahathat with its iconic Buddha head enmeshed in the roots of a tree. The icon is greatly revered by Thais - it is the perfect physical metaphor of the blending of ancient animist beliefs and institutional Buddhism.  Buddhism reveres images of the Buddha and animist folklore the spirit of trees.  The blending of the two make for a powerful and poignant mystical symbol.  I noticed for the first time how impressive the root system itself is.  We get so caught up in the Buddha head we fail to see the amazing way nature has completely overwhelmed and subsumed the man-made wall in this spot.  Just as impressive I think. Each time I visit this large temple complex I find something new to catch my eye.  This time I found an evocative Buddha figure with only a hand remaining on its knee.  At the end of the day we made our way my favorite stop:  Wat Yai Chai Monkhol.  This wat is famous for its bright white reclining Buddha and a courtyard of 100 sitting buddhas.  Our guide Ae showed us how Thais rub gold leaf (bought from the nuns on site) on the Buddha for good fortune and as a supplication for illumination.  They also try to stick a coin on the recliner’s feet - also for good luck.  I succeeded with a coin, but I’m not sure licking it was technically allowed :).  The reason this temple is so popular is that all the buddhas have saffron colored sashes - symbols of veneration and respect.  From an aesthetic point of view the bright colors make for an electric scene, especially at the end of the day.  The compound also sports a towering stupa (also sash wrapped) and picturesque and fragrant plumerias.  I had deliberately designed the day to finish here and we had great light for photographing.  Although the group was tired after a long day, the energy of this last colorful temple lifted everyone’s spirits.  The beautiful pool at the hotel didn‘t hurt either. Later that night, the “photo club” rallied for night shots.  We hired a sungthaew for a couple hours and got good shots of Mahathat, Ratburana, and Si Sanphet.  In the morning we rallied for sunrise shots of Chai Wattanaram before heading to the airport, bound for Chiang Mai.  All in all, an excellent stop.

Day 2 - Bangkok

Our first full day of the tour dawned warm and humid (like every day).  Our first activity was the Tuk-Tuk tour.  Tuk-Tuks, the ubiquitous 3-wheeled motorized rickshaws, picked us up at the hotel and whisked us off for a highlight tour of Bangkok’s secondary sights.  We stopped at the Ananta Throne hall, built by Rama V (Chulilongkorn of “The King and I” fame) who is greatly revered here for modernizing Thailand.  It is clearly a western building, reminding one of our own capital building in Washington D.C.  The interior reminds me of St Peters in Rome with coffered arches and a dominating dome.  The difference is the ceiling decoration: scenes from a Hindu epic rather than Christianity - a bit of a culture snap.  Down the street is the Rama V monument, the focus of local devotion a century after his passing.  Thais bring flowers and incense as respect offerings, but also cigarettes and Hennessey cognac - two of Rama V’s favorite vices. We continued on to Wat Saket, the famous “Golden Mount” after passing government buildings, modern Wat Benchanabophit and the Democracy monument.  Saket, actually built upon the ruins of a collapsed temple, is essentially the highest point in otherwise flat Bangkok.  The long winding stair to the top rewards with stunning views and the gleaming gold chedi.  After driving by the Loh Prasat (the iron monastery) our environmentally friendly “green” Tuk-Tuks took us to the local flower market. An explosion of colors and scents greeted us, though we were instructed not to pick up and directly smell the flowers as most are destined for offerings and the scent is intended for the appropriate deity.  Our wonderful Thai escort Ae shared the various names and offertory functions of the flowers as well as buying us a couple of the local fruits.  It was a great foray into the tastes and smells of this amazing country.

After the market we headed into the historic center for Bangkok’s top sights.  The splendor of Wat Phra Kheo, the centerpiece of the Grand Palace, is hard to describe or overstate:  spectacular, stunning, dazzling, sensory overload, and overwhelming come to mind.

Crowded might also be added to the list.  We braved the crowds and heat to be rewarded with the visual feast within.  Again, Ae was wonderful, giving us just the right amount of information to enhance our enjoyment.  WPK was built late in the 18th century by Rama I. Siam’s previous capital, Ayuthaya had been destroyed by the Burmese and much of her wealth carted off.  The new capital needed an appropriate palace and royal wat, but resources were scarce.  The solution was the use of inexpensive materials - painted tile, colored glass, mirrors, etc.  The pragmatic approach still produced wonderful results.  The entire compound is surrounded by an immense wall, brightly painted with scenes of from the Ramakian (Thai version of the Hindu classic Ramayana). Giant Yaksha (mythical giants who protect sacred objects) watch the entrances, gilded gold statues of mythical creatures jockey for space with gleaming stupas, glittering bots, tiled prangs, and even a scale model of Angkor Wat (once part of Siam’s domain).  Its hard to imagine the temple complex being more impressive.   Although we had a break from the heat in the form of a brief shower and shielding clouds, we were pretty exhausted (aesthetically as well as physically) after WPK.  So before tackling Wat Pho we made time for my favorite tour activity - Thai massage, the ultimate tactile experience.  Wat Pho is the national center for traditional Thai medicine and the official school for therapeutic massage.  Massage is readily available throughout the country but it is clearly the best here.  The tour paid for an hour of terrestrial heaven for everyone.  We emerged jelly-legged, relaxed, and slightly giddy.  My favorite comment heard, reflective of everyone’s positive reporting, was “Well, that’s one of my new favorite things!”

We finished out our day with the impressive stupas, bots, and whimsical statuary of Wat Pho.  The highlight of course was the immense reclining Buddha.  150 feet long, it barely fits in its jewelbox-like bot.  The sounds of the faithful dropping coins into the alms bowls added to the mystical-spiritual ambiance. There are 108 bowls, one each for the attributes of the Buddha. Those 108 laksana are also represented on the immense soles of the Buddha’s feet - inlaid mother-of-pearl.  But we also made time for the impressive bots and fine ceramic-decorated chedis.  By the time we returned to our hotel we were physically spent but filled to the brim emotionally, intellectually, and aesthetically.

Elephant Enthusiasm

On the last Imprint Thailand tour our visit to the Elephant Conservation Center was a huge hit - no different this time around.  We arrived in perfect time to see the elephants bathing in the river.  Coco, a mischievous older male, took delight in spraying the crowd with water.  Then it was the elephant parade up the hill to the performance arena for the show.  We enjoyed elephants moving and stacking teak logs, painting pictures, playing music, and shooting baskets. Geri from our group got to hold the basket for the basketball section.  After the show anyone could buy fruit and corn to feed the elephants by hand.  For me, the real enjoyment was seeing the delight in the faces of my group.  We reserved the real highlight for after the show - the elephant ride.  We loaded up one by one and headed off into the jungle.  Unlike last time, we began by lumbering into the river and heading off into the swirling current.  Soon we left the water and continued on into the jungle. It felt like we’d entered a David Lean movie. Once again we were graced with overcast skies and a slight breeze making the jungle trek a pleasant temperature. The “up close and personal” pachyderm experience had the group palpably buzzing with delight. We had a very quick lunch and a three hour drive to Si Satchanalai Historical Park, essentially and adjunct to Sukhothai.  We had about an hour's visit at the end of the afternoon and the light was good for photographs.  It was a quick visit but everyone seemed to enjoy the lack of crowds and quiet ambiance. Upon arrival at Sukhothai we took one of the city’s giant, boat-like Sungthouws into town for a market dinner of Sukhothai noodles, frog, and curried chicken.  For dessert Ae exposed us to a new sweet - Kanambang Sngkaya.  It is basically angelfood cake cubes dipped in coconut milk custard (milk, coco milk, egg, & pandanas leaves.  Yum Yum.

Kathoey Cabaret Night

In my last post I wrote about our spiritual journey to Wat Doi Suthep.  Afterwards, upon our return to Chiang Mai we went to the Riverside Restaurant, a traveler’s institution, for dinner.  Our riverside terrace table was ready for us and having nourished our spirits it was time to feed our bodies.  Ae had chosen a great menu of northern specialties:  chicken satay as a starter, then mixed stir-fried vegetables in oyster sauce, duck in red curry with longan fruit, whole fried snapper with 3-sour sauce, and stir-fried seafood curry served in a coconut.  My contribution was a 3.5 liter “beer bong” for the group.  The food was delicious (of course) and we had a lot of fun.  After dinner, about half the group opted to call it a night.  For the rest, I took them to a Kathoey Cabaret.  Kathoeys, or Ladyboys, are Thailand’s famous, or infamous, subculture.  They are transvestite performers with a time-honored tradition as entertainers.  As westerners we might bring an inbuilt prejudice, expecting some seedy or lascivious performance or even a thinly veiled façade for prostitution. Nothing could be further from the truth.  For those with an open mind the Kathoey clubs provide a fun-filled, slightly risqué evening of energetic entertainment.  At the bigger clubs in Bangkok travelers can spend $50 for a floor show.  Here in Chiang Mai, there is a cabaret bar in the Anusarn open-air market where you can enjoy the show for the price of a drink.  I fully expected the drinks to be marked way up but they were regularly priced.  It would appear that the “girls” who go on stage here do it more from a pure love of performance than to make any money at it.   The costumes were lavish, the choreography smart and professional, and most of the girls were noticeably talented.  And most made very attractive women.  You’d be hard pressed to identify them as males if you didn’t already know.  They lip-synched their way through about an hour of western and Thai dance favorites while strutting their stuff. The waitresses, also Kathoeys, were somewhat less attractive but went about their jobs with irreverent, flirting humor and good spirits.  My group enjoyed them as much as the show.  We had an absolute blast, enjoying a roaring and raucous evening of pure entertainment.  And no one spent more than $10.  Those tour members participating were still laughing and joking for the next couple of days.  It was truly a fun evening and one of those experiences you can only have traveling (at least for less than $10) with an open mind.  What a country!  

Wat Doi Suthep

Just like our last Imprint Thailand tour, the day one highlight for Chiang Mai was a late afternoon visit to Wat Doi Suthep.  It is easy to get “templed out” and begin to glaze over in Thailand but WDS is a singularly wonderful experience - and this tour was especially so.  Upon arrival we opted for the handy funicular which swept us up to the hilltop complex where we were greeted with a tremendous view over Chiang Mai valley. Photo ops demanded our attention at every step as the group greedily snapped shots of saffron-robed monks, giant ceremonial drums, rows of bells, sacred trees, shrines, alters, inlaid teak doors, and the gilded, multichromatic splendor of the Lanna-style architecture.  But the genuine “behind the curtain” cultural connections were provided by our guide Ae. First we learned about the significance of the bells.  The ringing of bells purify the temple and, according to general Asian belief, protect from evil spirits.  Additionally, according to some forms of Buddhism, bells represent an offering to all buddhas and their ringing accumulates merit (the Buddhist term for gaining positive karma).  Lastly, bells represent wisdom so ringing extends the purifying effect to the banishing of confusion.  Next we observed the elephant monument which marks the spot of the wat’s foundation legend.   Centuries ago a Lanna king came into possession of an important relic.  Not being sure of an auspicious place to consecrate a proper temple, he had the relic transported by a sacred white elephant.  The holy animal eventually climbed to the top of the present mountain, circled three times and died.  The king built his temple and the monument marks the spot of the elephant’s final resting place.  Then we learned why there is a Bodhi tree in the compound.  The Bodhi is the tree under which the Buddha meditated while seeking enlightenment.  Like relics such as splinters of the True Cross in Catholicism, certain wats are blessed with having scions of the original Bodhi.  According to local tradition, such is the tree here at WDS. The connection experiences ratcheted up a notch upon ascending to the topmost temple courtyard, splendidly dominated by the glistening gold stupa. The glowing monument is surrounded by Buddha statues, alter niches, chapels, shrines, chedis, and various other temple elements.  A steady but slight breeze cooled us and provided background music from hundreds of tiny temple bells.  As westerners we were struck by the temple’s natural beauty but understood little else until Ae began to unwind its secrets for us.  First she borrowed the Hundred “Years Old Calendar” book which contains the days of the week for specific dates going back a century - important because every Thai Buddhist needs to know his day of birth to know his or her sacred color, patron animal, and corresponding Buddha position. Everyone in the group learned their sacred connections.  For example, my color is blue, my animal avatar is the rooster, and the Buddha position is standing with arms crossed - symbolic of contemplation. Next, those inclined received a blessing from a monk.  We kneeled before him while he chanted and used a bundle of thin sticks to shake water on us.  Water is a metaphor for the divine presence and a symbol of ritual purification.  It felt like being baptized.  Then he tied a white strand of yarn around the men’s wrists and laid a strand out for women to pick up and tie on (it is forbidden for a monk to touch a woman or vice versa.)  The thread, known as sai sin, is a symbolic medium for transferring merit.  The string aids in retaining good power and protecting from dark influences and is quite powerful when bestowed by a monk. Moving on around the courtyard, we learned about adding oil to an eternally burning lamp.  Much like lighting a candle in the Catholic tradition, this ritual signifies devotion to the divine spark in the universe and in believers. Next door was a joss stick chapel.  Supplicants were shaking cups of bamboo sticks until a single stick fell out.  A number on the stick corresponded to the person’s fortune, written on small pieces of paper. All of those connection experiences were engaging and helped make Buddhism more understandable and accessible to us.  But the ultimate experience, far and away, was the monk chanting ceremony we observed at the end of our visit.  Seven monks lined up in front of a shrine in an attitude of prayerful mediation. An acolyte lit two huge candles flanking the shrine.  A loud, sharp bell rang out from a back corner followed by a deep, resonant, echoing gong.  Led by the senior monk, the group chanted a few short lines, followed by the bell and gong again - clearly a call to worship.  They filed into the chapel and kneeled before the seated Buddha statue and recommenced with the rhythmic, slightly musical chanting.  As if to confirm a divine presence, thunder rolled in the distance.  With Ae’s guidance we felt comfortable crowding around the chapel door to observe and listen.  I for one experienced a feeling of ascendance - a sense of connection to the divine within.  I felt I was a better person for having experienced the ceremony.  Judging by the hushed but passionate enthusiasm of the tour members, I was not alone. As if to cap our WDS experience, just before our departure we were treated to the arrival of a group of 20 or so young children, all in saffron robes.  They are children given into the care of the monastery by families too poor to provide for them properly.  They sat quietly in a pavilion in rapt and silent attention; though not from Buddhist discipline but transfixed by a higher power:  cartoons on a television! We descended the stunning Naga staircase feeling content and blessed.  No sooner had we boarded our bus than the heavens opened and a tropical rainstorm began.  The visit confirmed my commitment to seek creative ways to make cultural connections on our tours.  Finally, to conclude my musings about Thai Buddhism, I would add that this credo is much more relaxed than it’s western counterparts.  Yes there are rules, rituals, obligations, and liturgy to follow.  But there seems to be an abiding mai pen rai (no worries) element as well.  I felt comfortable participating, engaging, and observing in a way that would seem intrusive in western religions.  I like it.  I like it a lot.  We could use a bit more spiritual “mai pen rai” at home.

Thai Massage - Pleasure for a Penny

My intention before leaving the States was to blog every other day or so while underway here in Thailand.  Oh well . . . between being extremely busy with the tour and the impossibly low and sporadic bandwidth in our hotels I’ve just not been able to get much posted.  Here it is day 7 and we leave Chiang Mai tomorrow.  Mai pen rai. In my first post I talked about Thailand being one of the most sensuous countries of my travel experience.  Today’s activities - cooking class in the morning and Chiang Mai Flower Festival in the afternoon certainly provided plenty of sensate experience.  But I think Thai massage is the ultimate example of what I’m trying to articulate about this amazing country. I had some free time today so went for another beijing massage.  My masseuse was an attractive woman with a beautiful smile (not uncommon), replete with braces.  She began by bringing me a bowl of scented warm water for my dusty feet.  When I mistakenly started to wash my own feet she scolded me, but any sting of rebuke was softened by her giggles.  (aural: check) At first it felt awkward to have a woman kneel in front of me while soaping and scrubbing my feet.  But her metallic smile put me at ease (sight: check).  Next she led me upstairs and handed me some loose-fitting clothes to put on.  I donned my “scrubs” and lay down on a curtained-off floor matt in a quiet, air-conditioned room that held probably a dozen matts. Several vases held bright tropical flowers providing a strong and pleasant floral scent (olfactory: check).  My gal arrived with hot tea for me.  It was amazing.  It tasted slightly sweet but also had a hint of something almost malty or grainy.  It was completely novel for me and I enjoyed it immensely (taste: check).  She proceeded to work me over from toe to top kneading away knots and using her hands, feet, elbows, knuckles, fingers, knees and body weight to apply the correct pressure.

Thai massage is not gentle and hotspots can be quite painful.  It is therapeutic in intent and a significant part of traditional Thai medicine.  The relaxation comes at the end when you are so jelly-legged you can hardly stand up. My gal carried on a periodic patter with the other masseuse “next door”, their occasional laughter reminding me how content and happy Thais seem always to be.  Every few minutes she would ask “Dee mah mister?” which I interpreted to mean “good”?  She respected my requests to go gently in certain spots (I learned the Thai word for gentle, bau bau, on my last tour).  Despite the rigor of her work I dozed off periodically.  The hour was gone in what seemed like only minutes.  When she finished she thanked me and Wai’d (Thai greeting and sign of respect) and left me to change back into my clothes.  When I paid (150 Baht = $5 - what a country!) I asked if a tip was OK.  She said of course (with her eyes and smile).  I gave her an extra 50.  As thanks I received a blown kiss and that million-dollar smile (sense of delight: check!).

Tantalizing Thailand Tour - Day 1

Day one Bangkok.  Wow!  I love this country and I love my job.  The tour began in a flurry for me.  But I should start at the beginning - getting off the plane at Suvarnabhumi (unpronounceable to westerners) airport when I was hit with a blast of warm, moist air.  I would have known I was in Southeast Asia with my eyes closed - right down to the diesel smells that permeated the familiar tropical fragrances.  A very short line at immigration where even the officer smiled at me (where else does that happen in the world?).  My next stop was the men’s room - spotlessly clean and a vase of fresh plumerias by each sink.  In the airport bathroom!!!  I was exhausted after 22 hours underway but was instantly revitalized.  What a country. I arrived at the New World City Hotel just past 1:00AM and got settled.  Still buzzing I walked across the street to one of the 7-11 stores one finds about every 2 blocks here in the capital.  They are amazing.  All the usual products you’d expect plus a tiny pharmacy corner, liquor, and a toiletries section that informed me the days of bringing your favorite American shampoo with you were long gone.  I got some tour supplies, an international calling card, and a sim for my cell phone.  I went in for a beer but learned no alcohol sales after midnight.  Mai pen rai (no worries in Thai - the unofficial national mantra), Bangkok is the original city that never sleeps (sorry New York) so getting a cold one was no more than crossing the street to one a dozen eateries still bustling with clients. After managing about 4 fitful hours of sleep I went down for breakfast. Even in a pseudo-budget hotel like NWCH they put on an impressive buffet:  several Thai breakfast items and a nod to the English with baked beans (although they look like kidney beans to me) and fried eggs (albeit looking like my daughter’s plastic play version and ice cold having probably been cooked enmasse at 5:30 - mai pen rai).  Before long a dozen or so tour members arrived so there was lots of catching up and tales of “getting here” travails. Before the tour while scouring the internet for possible “behind the curtain” (the vale of commercial tourism) experiences I’d learned about a weekend floating market in Thonburi.  Having seen the famous, and now extremely touristy Damnoen market (90 minutes out from Bangkok) I was hoping for something more authentic.  The Thaling Chan floating market did not disappoint.  About 10 tour members joined me so we called for 3 taxis for the 15 minutes ride (about $4 - what a country!). The market was just getting up and running so we avoided any crowds.  There was the typical assortment of produce and prepared foodstuffs on land and then about 12-15 boats moored around a canal pier selling a variety of dishes - all prepared completely on the boat.  Lots of seafood options but also fried rice and other Thai staples.  I tried ground, spiced crabmeat with a cream sauce, served on a scallop shell and tiny mushrooms wrapped in bacon - yum!  Everything was prepared fresh on the spot.  There were low tables and stools on the barge for diners.  Fresh sautéed eels anyone?  We saw only a couple other tourists and everyone enjoyed seeing (and photographing) the Thai version of a porta-potty.  By about 10:30 we’d seen/eaten our fill and the heat had spiked so we headed back. After some proper unpacking and organizing I headed out to explore the neighborhood.  You can’t beat the location of NWCH - you can find anything you need within blocks:  tailors, laundry, coffee, restaurants, travel agents, etc.  I was still too excited to be hungry for lunch so I had a massage to try to relax.  Good choice.  As always when I visit Thailand, my intention is to indulge in Thai massage any time I have 90 free minutes.  I was reminded how completely relaxed Thais are about this very intimate experience.  I’ve decided Thailand (with India) is one of the most sensual countries on earth - and I mean that in its truest meaning:  a country that buffets you with stimuli, from all five senses.  After getting my feet scrubbed and changing into my “scrubs” I was treated to 60 minutes of tactile heaven.  My masseuse worked me from toe to top and I emerged relaxed and rejuvenated. The tour officially began at the afternoon get-acquainted meeting.  With many Imprint alums aboard there was much “re-acquainting” with some new faces sprinkled in.  We met our Thai escort, Ae (pronounced A, as in hay).  She is lovely, charming (like Thailand), speaks English well, and has a fun sense of humor.  Afterwards we headed down to the Chao Phraya river to board our boat for a klong (canal) tour.  Plying the smaller canals of the Thonburi side of Bangkok is a wonderful glimpse into Bangkok’s village past, a welcome respite from the city’s intense urbaness, and a glimpse into the importance of water in Thai culture.  We saw dozens of working wats (temples), beautiful teak mansions, ramshackle hovels, and people doing everything from cooking to laundry on/in the canals.  We made a brief stop at the Royal Barge Museum to marvel and the elaborately decorated ceremonial barges of present and past Thai kings.  Around sunset we left the river - just in time for photos of Wat Arun on the western bank.  Then it was on to Supatra River House Restaurant for a veritable feast with views of the illuminated bots and chedis of the Grand Palace and a rising full moon across the river.  The meal was lavish, unending, and exquisite.  Spring rolls, shrimp cakes, spicy lime soup with salmon for appetizers, spicy green beans with shrimp, cashew chicken, garlic-pepper prawns, and curried beef for main course, and fresh fruit and sticky rice with mango (my favorite) for dessert.  We returned to our hotel exhausted, but sensually sated and content.  What a country!