#2 Ah jet lag, my old friend. What a kick in the brain…… We started our morning with a trip to visit a few of the temples here in Bangkok. I have already seen much of what was on the agenda, but there’s no way I could deprive Matt of the experience just because I had been here before. Let’s be honest, I would’ve done it again even if I were by myself. We took public transport to get there, which included the MRT and a longboat up the river to the area of the temples. The subway/elevated rail here is exceptional. Super clean and efficient, it rivals any public transit I have encountered in my travels. The river boats are a bit more extreme of an adventure, on the other hand. Don’t get me wrong, people use these boats successfully and safely everyday, but I don’t think most Americans would find it “safe” enough. I personally feel the slight touch of danger is what makes it fun. The first temple we hit was Wat Pho. Home of the reclining Buddha. It’s always an awe inspiring site. Contained in an intricately designed temple, the massive 40m long Buddha seems other worldly. The pushy, spatially unaware tourist I could have done without, but I guess they come with the territory. Being a photographer, I have gained a sense of spatial awareness and sight lines, making it maddening to have people keep stepping infant of your shot. Remembering I was in a Buddhist temple, I took a breath and just let life happen the way it happens, which is the only thing we can do, right? The temperature on this trip is about 10 degrees cooler on average. It’s 86-91 degrees as opposed to 90-96 degrees. This definitely make running around all day much easier and bearable. There is even a cool breeze that will occasionally pass over you leaving you feeling refreshed. After Wat Pho, we crossed the river on a small ferry to Wat Arun. Wat Arun is one of the more prominent structures as you cruise the river. There is one main spire like structure surrounded by for smaller similar structures. There is a stair case to the top that I would rate as one of the more frightening climbs/descents that I have made, especially for a structure that is open to the public. The way up isn’t so bad, but after you spend a few minute gazing out at the spectacular view before you, you must come down, and the trip down, for lack of a better phrase, will make you shit yourself. Every step is about 2ft high and my size 14 shoe hangs about 2 precarious inches over the edge of the step. With every step down your heart quickens and stress sweat begins to form on your forehead. All in all, the chances of you falling are not very high, but one’s imagination can come up with many scenarios in which you find your body in a mangled heap at the bottom of the staircase. After our short tour of the grounds, I grabbed a delicious Thai iced coffee and made my way back to the ferry with Matt. It took a while for the ferry to come, so I took up my favorite hobby, people watching. People watching is free, entertaining, and sometimes can teach you a quick lesson about humans and how we perceive each other. The ferry finally arrived and we headed back to the dock down river to catch the MTS back to our hotel. Feeling the jet lag increasing to the point of delirium we decided to take a quick nap before we ventured out for our first night in our slightly seedy neighborhood. I set an alarm for 1hr and passed out. I awoke with the alarm and forced myself out of bed, and spent the next 30mins or so trying to convince my exhausted travel mate to drag himself from the comfort of his bed, which proved no easy task. It’s hard to explain what jet lag feels like. It’s as if you have to fight every signal your brain is sending. Melatonin floods your brain in the middle of the day and you feel like you are on sleeping pills mixed with a narcotic. I know that may sound fun to some people but it’s not when you’re trying to navigate a city the size of Bangkok, with its insane traffic and constant flow of people. I finally got Matt to rejoin the living and we took off for our dinner and a little nighttime fun. We ate at a little Mexican joint around the corner, where we finally got decent WiFi for the first time. It’s so telling of our dependence on the internet, when you find yourself getting upset that you can’t check your phone. It’s a good thing I am here. Maybe after 3 months I’ll be able to break my internet addiction. It’s embracing how much “real” life I miss looking down at my phone. You’ll never know the amazing things that could’ve happened if you would have just looked up from your phone. I challenge everyone to find 3 days a week that you leave your phone in a drawer and go find something “real” in life to explore and enjoy. Matt and I finished our meals and hit a few bars before exhaustion finally ended our day.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 10:28:06 +0000
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