Second day in Bangkok, Feb 5th, went very early to the Grand Palace. Busloads of tourists, mostly Asian, even at 8:30 but http://garberasiablog.blogspot.com/2011/02/off-to-grand-palace.html got worse later on. Makes the Wat Pho seems modest despite it's over the top dazzle, many hundreds of Buddhas, a hundred huge colorful tiled spired columns and ornate statues. The palace has a gold leaf painted mural from the late 1700's, during the reign of King Rama the first, depicting the epic tales started by the abduction of Somebodies wife by demons surrounding the inner court for about 100 meters or more.
There are more spires and temples, Buddhas and status than you can imagine.
The main temple alone - Wat Phra Kaew, containing the Emerald Buddha, is surrounded by about a hundred Buddhas on each side.
Other temples are surrounded outside with life sized demons, each with a unique fierce expression and their arms up as if holding up the walls.
The entrances are bordered by life sized gilded female creatures, like Pegasus only with the body of a deer.
There must have been at least ten temples in the complex and it looks like the part the public sees if only one section on a much larger complex which walls off what would be the equivalent of about nine square city blocks.
Filling in between Pahd Thai and Panang various meat curries with papaya, mango, pineapple, rambutan, mangosteen, sesame candied nuts.
Feb 6th: Could not rent a car to go to khao Yai, Thailand's first and most famous National Park located about 2 &1/2 hours from Bangkok, because it's Chinese New Years weekend. Landed up hiring a Taxi, driven by Sao who was very nice but spoke almost no English, for the entire day for less than the cost of a car. A small town the the foothills is famous for American style cowboys,
steak houses and growing corn. We stopped at the corn and sorghum research market and had fresh boiled sweet corn, delicious pork spring rolls and corn (milk) juice for lunch.
The area was surrounded by "Thai palms" (Foxtail or Woodetia bifurcate, a large Prichardia sps., and various flowering trees. As we ascended into the park for 30 km from Pak Chong it got cooler and the vegetation became much more tropical. On entering Khao Yai
suddenly there we were in winding mountainous terrain with large stands of bamboo,
a tiered canopy and wild understory palms. Just our type of place to hang out. Found a small vehicle to buzz around the park in and off we go, leech socks on and smothered in Deet, "trekking"', birding and hunting down waterfalls. The food in the park is a little too rural authentic but some is very good if you don't look at it too closely.
We have encountered a variety of interesting birds like the Bronzed and Greater racket-tailed Drongo,
White rumped shama, Bulbul, Dollar bird, Barbets, Great hornbill, Asian honey buzzard. We seen a large deer and a miniature one called the Barking deer,
a huge porcupine, groups of white handed Gibbons in the trees and lots of Macaques by the road side. Still looking for the Asian elephant (300 in park) , Asian bear, Gaur, Civet and Tiger (very rare if any). back to the observation tower tomorrow at dawn. We have no Internet here so I don't know when I will publish this.
Feb 8th. Left KhaonYai park today. Very interesting journey via friendly policeman on vacation and bus. Arrived in Ayuthya, capital of Thailand for 400 years until mid 1700s. The river encircles the town and then continues to Bankok. Loaded with Wats and interesting history. Pictures to follow after our bike tour tomorrow. Circled the town by boat this evening for perspective. Entire town is a fiesta, like the State Fair at home, celebrating Chinese New Years still.
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Location:Naresuan,Hua Ro,Thailand
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