And Day 2 in Bangkok

Day 2 in Bangkok and today the visit to the Grand Palace should finally work out. So after breakfast, I jumped on public transport; I was quite the veteran in this public transport jungle, and headed to the old town. However, today there was quite a traffic jam, but bus riding is nice and there’s always something to see. I had already studied the dress code for the Grand Palace; it's probably the only place in Bangkok where one must wear long pants. Regarding the sights in the vast area, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Very impressive. Taking shoes off and putting them back on was also on the agenda multiple times today. After that, I meandered through the city with the goal of visiting Wat Arun. Yes, exactly, another temple complex. I utilized that for a little ferry ride. The same safety standards according to DIN are not enforced here as strictly. One should hold on tightly. Wat Arun seems to be the hotspot where locals (young ladies and gentlemen) get their photos taken in traditional attire, supposedly creating the best dating profiles. After that, I took the bus back to the hotel. It was crowded, filled exclusively with locals; and me. While standing closely packed, I noticed that I had quite an excellent view. That doesn't happen to me in Germany, where I'm barely at least half a head taller than all the other passengers... After a quick dip in the pool, it was off for dinner and evening entertainment at 'Rock Pub Bangkok' for the 'Heavy-Metal-Forever' night. I was curious. The acoustics were surprisingly good and the bands were entertaining. The first two (of three) bands with various revival pieces were good. But when the main act came with cover songs from different metal and rock bands, my musical sensibilities were somewhat taken aback. AC/DC was indeed great; among others, Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Ronnie James Dio were (perhaps unintentionally) interpreted quite freely, but still very entertaining. During 'Enter Sandman' by Metallica with a Thai accent and a high-pitched scream, I could feel certain acts of lèse-majesté in my ears and briefly indulged in watching the twirling dances of some older visitors. Headbanging without any hair is challenging, I found out... Overall, it was a fun and entertaining evening. Today will be a bit more relaxed for me. After a long sleep, swimming, and a late breakfast, it will be a leisurely tour after noon...