Jan 29 - 31 Bangkok

We flew to Bangkok for an appointment with the American Embassy to get some visa paperwork filled out and more pages in our passports. Our hotel was called Jim's Lodge which, although located in an upscale part of town, was an affordable alternative to the big name hotels that surrounded embassy row. After, we wondered at this most populous city in Thailand, at the constant traffic and population of over 8 million. The tortuous sidewalks were challenging, and jaywalking was precluded by the thousands of motorbikes crowding the narrow bike lane next to the curb. Street food was everywhere, and food stalls served up everything from breakfast to snacks and dinner. No wonder so few people cook in their homes (so we've been told); take home is everywhere and very affordable. We toured the Grand Palace and the Jade Buddha, and were suitably impressed by their grandeur. These are amongst the most visited and revered sites in Thailand, and the history of the many buildings and temples erected on the grounds of the previous Thai monarchs thru the centuries takes a while to take in. We also took time to go to Jim Thompson's house, a lovely example of Thai architecture and housing many examples of SE Asian antiques. He resurrected Thailand's silk industry, and demonstrated the beauty of the variety of Thai silk designs to the world. We managed to not get too lost on the BTS Skytrain, and found a few neighborhood restaurants and bistros as well as some gigantic malls that serve Bangkok's locals and visitors. It was a fast couple of days, and we return to Infini tomorrow.

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