Deadly Bangkok, Another Side of the Story

The Red Shirts are stirring the pot in Bangkok again, and now it has become deadly again.What a shame for such a wonderful city. I have no position on the politics of the standoff, but am sad for all those who killed or injured. The Thai people, like most in Asia, everywhere for that matter, have long-standing differences of class and political persuasion. Now that things have turned violent, I hope they will take the opportunity to talk.Flowers at a wholesale market beside the  Chao Praya in Bangkok

We ended our In Search of Shangri-la tandem bicycle tour in December of 2009, and all was quiet. The last time the Red Shirts demonstrated they closed the airport, and thousands of Westerners were trapped in Bangkok for some time. Not that we would mind all that much. We stayed eight days this visit, and after our Around Australia by Tandem journey, we visited for 12 days.

I wrote from Bangkok that it was a Shangri-la of major cities, and despite a few inconveniences now and then, I stand by that assessment. It is a great place to get a taste of Asia without getting too far out of your comfort zone, a place from which to launch more adventurous forays into the most important continent in the coming century.

Here are a few random photos from our most recent stay. Give Bangkok a chance. You will not be sorry.

Longtail boat in Bangkok

Chilis in Bankok markethome on the Chayo Prayawholesale market beside the Chao Praya in Bangkokwoman at wholesale market beside the Chao Praya in Bangkok

Public Ferry; the only way to travelfire in the sky in Bangkoktemple and stupa in Bangkokinside a temple in BangkokReclining Buddha in BangkokInlay at the Reclining Buddha temple in BangkokBuddha cats are common in templesTile detail in Bankok templetourist and templestone carving courtyard of a temple in bangkokorchid in temple courtyard in bangkokfake Coke, yes you can tell the difference, yuck.


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