Vacation Stories

  Sunday, October 2, 2022 Food, Glorious Food! On the way back from Wat Trammit, we noticed that the Chinatown had come alive with so many food stalls for the festival season. People were buzzing everywhere, and vendors had eye-catching colorful desserts and freshly made fried goodies. Everything seemed so good and was a bit overwhelming. I did not know what to try or how much to buy. Joker helped me to get little of different things. His selection was very yummy! Of all the things we tried, this is my favorite. They had made some dessert that tasted a lot like pongal with rice and brown sugar and then they stuffed it inside bamboo and roasted it in fire. That gave the dessert a smoky chewy flavor. I would go back to Thailand just to try this food again! It came with a bamboo spoon too. Joker also bought a freshly cut Durian fruit. It was not stinky as they say, maybe because it was fresh. It reminded me of palapazham but the texture was more creamy like custard. The hotel we ...

 Sunday, October 2, 2022  Weight in Gold  After we checked out of the hotel, we decided to visit the famous Wat Trammit to see the world's largest golden Buddha. Papu opted out and stayed in the hotel lobby while Joker and I walked over to Wat Trammit. It was inside the Chinatown and was very close to our hotel. The temple features a modern four-story marble-clad structure built to house the statue. The 5.5-tonne statue dates back to the 13th-14th century and was accidentally discovered beneath plaster in 1955.  They tried to airlift it to a new location when got dropped and the plaster broke open the gold became visible. To everyone's amazement they discovered that it is made of solid gold. The statue stands roughly 3 meters tall, sits in a meditative pose, and is made of 18-karat gold, valued at over $300 million There is barely any security for such a valuable statue. Because of its sheer weight it is probably impossible to steal it. After gazing at the tons of go...

  Sunday, October 2, 2022 Grand Indeed! Grand Palace looks majestic and opulent even at a distance. Joker told me that they have a dress code for Grand palace to cover our legs. I was wearing a capri pant. So he took me to a store near the ferry port to get an elephant pant. The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok.  The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam (and later Thailand) since 1782.  Though the royal family of the constipated king does not live there anymore,  the Grand Palace is still used for official events. Several royal ceremonies and state functions are held within the walls of the palace every year.  Everywhere we turn, there are beautiful structures made with intricate designs. If Joker was not with me, I would have completely lost inside the complex. Some of the buildings had the same decorative porcelain like Wat Arun.  Beautiful flowers fabricated with pieces of porcelain mimic the real...

 Sunday, October 2, 2022 Sunkist Dawn This was our last day in Thailand. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins. I only slept for an hour but I woke up fresh and happy. I got ready big eyed and bushy tailed. Papu had enrolled in a cooking class and that started only around 8.  She said she will eat breakfast at the hotel and get a taxi to her cooking class. Joker was waiting for me at the reception at 6 am. We got on a tuktuk and went to Wat Saket first thing in the morning. It was a beautiful place, so serene. Even the ticket booth was not opened. Once they let us in we climbed up the stairs. There were interesting statues along the way. Getting to the top of Wat Saket is an experience. You climb this spiral staircase ( 318 steps to be exact) that hugs the hill. Soft Buddhist chants play as you ascend, and the air feel calm. It’s like the world outside pauses for a bit. Once we got to the top, there was a gate that was still closed. Joker opened the gate and we were the firs...