Walking through Bangkok can be challenging. The traffic is relentless; the pedestrians can be pushy; and the “sidewalks” are compromised. But none of this should deter the intrepid tourist.
Our excursion began at the hotel’s spirit house (within the Thanon Phaya Thai district), where we paid our respects…
before continuing to Warehouse 30,
an art and design complex just east of the Chao Phraya riverfront,
where we found delightful exhibits and installations, intriguing antiques, and boutique apparel.
Nearby, we discovered Talat Noi–
a resurrected warehousing slum with meandering alleys filled with repurposed auto parts, shabby temples,
and wall art.
After another 15 minutes of sidestepping aggressive scooters along congested cobbled alleyways, we arrived at the Chinatown Gate, planted in the middle of an enormous traffic circle.
Chinese locals by the scores were making offerings at a local Buddhist Temple.
Chinatown Night Market was to our north,
but we were saving that for an evening stroll, when the street would close for Monday’s celebration of street food–filled with curious selections for adventurous eaters.
Our last stop included a visit to Wat Mangkon Kamalawat just before closing. It’s the largest and most significant Chinese Buddhist Temple in Bangkok. The temple is surrounded by shrines dedicated to a variety of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian deities and religious figures worshipped by the local Chinese.
Worn out and wrung out, we took a taxi back to the hotel. We had walked nearly 10 km. in 90o heat. It was time to freshen up and consider a new adventure with an eye toward dinner.
Streaming thru America 