Dew the Great Tour Guide

In order to see Bangkok, I hired a guide from Thai Tour Guides. I was originally going to use Tours with Tong but had issues with email and went with Thia Tour Guides.  This was a great choice.  Dew our tour guide for the day had all the sights planned out in addition to ones "I read about in the tour book and had to see".  Unfortunately, she attempted to keep us on schedule.  We started at 10AM and didn't stop until after 6PM and Dan and I said enough it was time to go back to the hotel.  It may have been that we were unable to keep up the a 29 year old tour guide.  Needless to say the next time I will ask for a "mature" guide.

The day in a nutshell.  The Buddhist Temples.  We started at the Imperial Palace and worked our way down including the "Reclining Buddha" and former home of the Emerald Buddha.  Dan and I both agree we could have never made it through the Imperial Palace without a guide.  Good choice on my part.  The good news was we can follow directions and dress appropriatley, which meant "jeans for me".  Think how warm it is to be in jeans with 95 degrees and 90% humity.  The sun was out all day and we proceeded to go though the water we brought and a bottle from "the floating grocer".

We were on all types of transportation, some of which I do not want to repeat and those are the canal boats.  I seemed to have the worse time stepping up and then on to car tire bumper and then the dock.  I mirrored my attempt of  "getting off a ski lift when they had to stop the lift and that was 33 years ago"  I am sure the people of Thailand will be laughing at the tourist for many weeks to come.  What I really don't understand is the 2 girls in slim tight skirts that were able to board the boat and load their luggage, not carry on by any means.

We stopped for lunch at about 3PM and ate at picnic tables in the food court adjacent to the wholesale food market and the flower marker.  It is an amazing sight.  I was unaware of all the different types of peppers and ginger available.  I was tempted to buy some saffron as the price was dirt cheap.  Then I realized it was still only day 2 and we have 60 more to go.  Lunch was good but I think I just needed the calories because between the heat and walking it made last year in Venice seemed like a temporate zone

We spent the day taking on and off our shoes. I did get a flat shoe for walking which helped today.  They seemed to be off mire than on.  Dew ran interference for today so although we paid all the enterance fees she was able to count out the money and negotiated some of our fares.  The most exciting ride of the day was in the "Tuk Tuk".  A great way to. zip in and out of traffic. The driver is fearless and stops for no one. It is amazing to see school children being taken to and from and not even bothering to look up. It was like being in Tiajuana traffic on the equivalent of the back of a motorcycle.

We went to the Baan Bat area.  This is a street where there are a lot of woodworking stalls or stores as the case made be. We were after a had made Alm bowl". It is amazing what goes into creating a finished  product. We now are proud owners of garden art.  With this purchase I have begun to start doing the math. At the end of today we have less than a 1000 baht. Guess we will be going to the ATM tomorrow.  Dan didn't have to negotiate they actually lowered the price a little. He is not the negotiator and would have paid full price.

I started doing the math and things can be pricy in Bangkok. We have been to the pharmacy and will go again tomorrow since "prepared for anything Dan, forgot his allergy medicine. My evening wine is $7.00 a glass cheaper at home but we figured out when happy hour is so will be done exploring by happy hour time tomorrow.

After our day with Dew I just want to rest up. We will go by the bank again seems we are out of baht, and attempt to find a pharmacy and tour the Jim Thompson house.  As for Bangkok nightlife don't ask us as the jet lag still has an impact.  We were up at 4:30 so tonight were in bed by 8:10.  Us crazy kids just don't stay up late.