Bangkok - 28.04.19

After my arrival in Bangkok yesterday, my bubble of peace and relaxation, in which I lived on Koh Samui, burst, because now I am back in a big, crowded and hectic city. Today, the most important temples and Buddha statues in the city were on my sightseeing plan. On the city map, it was already apparent that my hostel has a good location. Now that I am here, I can confirm that it is true. Many attractions are easily accessible, especially since you can take a Tuk-Tuk everywhere. When I stepped out of my air-conditioned room this morning, it felt like running into a wall. In this case, a wall of heat. It was already 30 degrees here at 8 o'clock in the morning. I got up early to avoid the heat and the crowds of tourists. It worked briefly with the crowds, but not with the heat. My first stop of the day, 15 minutes walk away, was a large complex called the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Wat = temple). The main attraction of this temple complex is the Emerald Buddha, which we are not allowed to get close to, and from a distance it is difficult to see because this Buddha statue is only 66cm tall. Since I was already at the complex before it opened and then found out that admission was free today, I was very happy to be one of the first to enter when the gates opened. These immense, colorful and magnificent buildings, and the tranquility, even the Asian tour groups behave quietly here, have a very special effect. All I could hear were the small bells hanging on some of the buildings, swaying in the wind. Within walking distance of this complex, I could reach the next temple complex, called Wat Pho, in ten minutes. This is the oldest and largest temple complex in the city and it can boast some superlatives, as it houses the largest reclining Buddha and the most extensive collection of Buddha statues in Thailand. This enormous Buddha statue was truly impressive, it is about 50 meters high. Insane! It was a bit more lively here, as everyone naturally wanted to take a photo with the Buddha. But the rest of the temple complex is also beautifully laid out and impressive. What I found very pleasant was that a bottle of water was included in the admission price. That was much needed in the prevailing heat. If I think about how much I drink here and how rarely I need to go to the toilet, it says a lot about how much I sweat here. As they say, 'All good things come in threes', so the third temple complex followed. For that, I had to cross the Chao Phraya River, which divides the city, because the next temple complex was on the opposite bank. I decided to take a ferry to cross the river, as there are many options for getting around on the river, but more on that later. This ferry ride hardly cost me anything, as I had to pay 4 Baht, which is equivalent to 0.11€. Wat Arun temple complex is located right on the riverbank, and the brightness of the buildings is dazzling in the bright sunshine. As I learned later, the entire temple complex was built in just 5 years. It is hard to imagine when you look at all these details. Since there is not much else for tourists on this side of the river, I had to cross the river again to get back to the city center. Since it is boring to go back the same way you came, I decided to use an express boat this time, which operates on the river as a regular service. There are several lines with different stops, just like buses on a route. After finding a rather unmotivated Thai woman who sold me a ticket for my line, I could cross the river again to the other side. This ride cost about 0.50€. Since I am already in 'China withdrawal', my next destination was Chinatown. Like many world metropolises, Bangkok also has a Chinatown. A bit of China in Thailand is a must. But if you have never been to China, go to Chinatown here and see it, and think that it is like this in China, you don't want to go to China. How terrible! Here, they try to embody everything that characterizes China in a very small space. I find it completely off-putting. I strolled around the maze of streets for a bit and then escaped into an air-conditioned taxi, which took me in the direction of Khao San Road, which is also near my hostel. I have to admit that as delicious as Thai food is, today I just felt like having a burger and fries at McDonald's. After my fast food ration, I treated myself to a one-hour foot and calf massage to end the day. Since it is hard to imagine how a foot massage can last an hour, I was pleasantly surprised that it also included a short back and neck massage. After my massage, I felt like I was floating on clouds back to the hostel.