[lettie]

You can't visit Bangkok without a visit to The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha) Easily accessible by water taxi, I decided to take a trip there. On the boat I met an American couple (Robert and Penny), who decided that it was unsafe for a lass to be on her own in Bangkok, so they came with me. Wat Phra Kaeo is the holiest of all the temples here, and is always crowded with worshippers and visitors. Photography is not allowed inside the temple and the guards have guns, so I wasn't arguing. The Emerald Buddha is a tiny little statue, and can barely be seen from the entrance to the temple. It's impossible to get close to it, as hundreds of people are on the floor praying. Later that day, I visited Suan Lumphini (Lumphini Park) A lovely green space in the middle of this highly polluted, noisy city. I just sat for 2 hours watching the world go by. All in all, I enjoyed Bangkok. The people are friendly and polite, the food is excellent and I did nothing but eat all the time I was there. Transport is cheap and efficient, although the tuk tuks are highly dangerous. The deadliest thing in this city is trying to cross the road. On my last day, I'm ashamed to say that I did nothing but doss by my hotel pool with a drink in one hand, and my unread book which I had fetched with me in the other. The petite Thai people are quite a contrast to the huge Samoan people of NZ. I was starting to feel like Gulliver, so I came home....

Here are some shots of Wat Phra Kaeo and the little pagoda in Suan Lumphini.