Bangkok - Part 2

We managed to visit Bangkok for the 2nd time and stayed close to Benchakitti Park. This place has lovely facilities and is very huge. People of all walks of life come here for running, walking and relaxing from 5:00 AM.  

It's also got a massive lake.

A view from the top.

It's got massive lotus ponds.

And man-made wetlands.

And an outdoor gym.

We also went to Ayutthaya on a extremely hot and humid day.

It was the capital of Thailand many many years ago and although this city is in ruins, it still hold significance in Thailand's history.

Some of the temples do remind us of how things would have been few centuries ago.

Another set of ruins.

Although restoration is in progress, but some temples are leaning a lot.

They restored a sleeping Buddha statue, that I think is an abomination of what was previously here. I don't know how someone would come up with this, approve this and be okay with this. 

We treated ourselves to drinks and cake, they tasted best in AC!! That was a bloody hot day.

Also went to the Siam Museum.

And being Thai, means more than just the Thai clothes.

This country is a mixture of modern and traditional values.

Goddess Kali in the Siam Museum.

And a modern take on Ganesha.

They say, one can see an image of themselves or their shirt's print in unexpected places.

MOCA Museum is also a magnificent museum to visit when in Bangkok.

Everyone wants new toys and they need to unique. So an artist created Mushkin. 

The company wanted "An Original Toy". 

My take on MUSHKIN. Someone who goes to the office everyday. My teeth, were no where close to MUSHKIN's teeth though.

These crowns and these facemasks are quite popular features of Thailand.

How did Thailand get influenced by India? Well, Bharat and Suvarnabhumi have been trading partners since centuries and this picture shows India's influence in South East Asia.

The below pencil sketch blew my mind.

A depiction of Amrit Manthan.

Bangkok on a rainy night.

And Dali was free that evening to paint Trupti, by looking into the mirror.

Who are we to judge, "what is beauty?" , because one thing could be beautiful for someone and ugly for the others.

We also went to the hustle bustle of Chatuchak Market. 

It did remind me of SArojini Market in Delhi; minus the loud music, unnecessary stares, the random shoulder bump, heaps of rubbish and the gutka stains. 

What a lovely test series! And I also watched some cricket with few new friends in Sukhumvit.

All and all; Bangkok was awesome!

Laos

 An average country with extremely low population and a wonderful train line to China. More people live in Andheri (a suburb of Bombay) than in Laos. 

The geography of Laos is quite tricky; it has a lot of mountains and not enough agricultural land. This hasn't allowed population to settle in this part of the world since thousands of years, and whatever population lives here, they live along the Mekong River. 

I also found Laos to be one of the "not so clean" countries of South East Asia. We visited 2 cities, and both were pretty sparsely populated. Vientiane, their capital, is considered to be the most boring capital city on the planet. However, I did see that they have 30% of their cars, being EV cars, manufactured in China. The 2nd city, Luang Prabang is a very cosy city and quite popular with the locals & western tourists.

Few photos of Wat Sisaket. As we kept coming closer and closer to Thailand, the temples looked very much like the temples of Thailand. 

Patuxai - Victory Monument of Laos. 

Location: Victory Monument

One can climb at the top for views.

We got caught in a rainstorm and were hiding in a temple. Clicked some photos and they came out to be lovely.

If you get a chance, please visit the COPE Visitor Centre in Vientiane. This shows the impact of the bombs dropped by the US army on the people of Cambodia. These days, China has had an impact on the growth of Laos. You can see that from the number of EV cars, railways and roads being built by the Chinese without dropping bombs in Laos.

Location: COPE Centre

The Vientiane Railway Station. It's an absolutely mammoth of a building 

...and off we went to Luang Prabang.

The train goes to Kunming in Southern China.

Luang Prabang's a nice small charming town, with lots of European Tourists visiting the city. 

Nam Khan River meets the mighty Mekong River here.

The temples here are very pretty. Wat Xiengthong has many temples in the complex and it is worth visiting.

Location: Wat Xiengthong Temple Location

Hire a scooter, and do visit the Tat Sae Waterfalls. It's about 20 kms from the city. 

Location: Waterfalls

I do suggest to have a nice dinner along the Mekong River. Do take your mosquito spray, to avoid the army of mosquitoes attacking you.

It's also worth visiting the Royal Palace and Museum. The palace is average from outside, however there are a few things to see from the inside, tea cups and chairs. I liked the garden though.

Location: Royal Palace and Museum

We also went on a river cruise on the Mekong River. This probably was the most boring experience of my life. I am not in my 20s anymore, I don't seek adventure in every walk of my life; but this was so sad and so boring, that the most existing thing was to "wave at other boats!".