Narrative by Katie; superfluous italicized, parenthetical, and photo information by Cathy (sorry).
I know this is long overdue, but was a little crazy when Burke and I got home from Thailand.
So here’s the back story: A few months back we get a Facetime call from Jeff, drinking a beer with a SF friend [Steve Smith], and he suggests that we meet them in Thailand in April. Can we do this??? Well, we pondered a few days and Burke really wanted to do something fun for his 50th and what’s better than hanging with Jordans for his birthday. Plus, I got to go to Italy for my 50th….
So the plans began. Jeff took care of finding an apartment, so all we had to do was get there, and the cost to fly there was really reasonable.
We departed Monday night around midnight and arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday. We arrived at the apartment to a very excited Jordan family – I’m not sure they stopped talking for a few hours and we were happy to listen, considering we didn’t know what day it was. We proceeded to change our clothes, it was smoking hot, but we didn’t care.
We headed out to a yummy lunch with Steve & Jenny (the Jordans’ friend from SF and his girlfriend). The big hit was the garlic/butter covered whole fish (also, Katie really liked the gin fizzes).
We then had to check out their favorite bar, Morning Night, played some pool, (not very well). The staff was very attentive (they were a little bummed that the boys brought their wives).
Cathy escorted Mick home at a reasonable hour and picked up pizza from the corner spot near our apartment, Rosso di Sera. The rest of us stayed out and returned much later, appreciating the leftover pizza.
The next morning, we had to take a dip in the pool and Jeff cooked up some eggs for breakfast before heading to Bang Kachao (or “the green lung”). The taxi driver said it was closed – he was trying to get us to support his river cruise people – but we prevailed. We crossed the Chao Phraya river, made it to the island, and rented bikes to ride around the island.
We stopped at a sanctuary/event center with beautiful flowers and ponds.
We headed out in search of the floating market. Our paper map was not the best, but we did get there. We walked around, purchased a few items, soaps and an awesome ceramic bell (thanks Burke!).
Mick fed some sucky fishes with a baby bottle and we enjoyed the best watermelon icy drinks.
We got back on our bikes and headed back to the dock. We did see a few HUGE lizard things [a monitor lizard actually!], gross but Mick was excited to see them.
When we got back to our apartment, Mick and I proceeded to challenge Jeff and Burke to a very competitive game of skim ball in the pool. They did beat us, but I think Mick was handicapped with his partner. We did begin a tradition of “pool fingers” – think jazz hands in the water – and of course I had to show Mick the Bring It On video of the choreographer with “spirit fingers.”
Jeff cooked up a pork chop/pasta/salad dinner, which he insisted we eat at the table so we could “talk.”
Friday was the beginning of the Thai New Year, Songkran. The holiday is known for its water festival – major streets are closed to traffic and are used as water fight arenas.
SONGKRAN ~Thai New Year
Songkran is a celebration that embraces goodwill, love, compassion, and thankfulness, using water as the means of expression. Songkran is celebrated in Bangkok and several regions in Thailand as well as in Southern China, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. The word songkran is derived from Sanskrit and means to move or step forward. The first day of Songkran takes place when the sun moves from Pisces into Aries, which marks the New Year’s Day according to the Brahmin solar calendar.
The festival of Songkran is from 13 to 15 April every year. The first day is known as Maha Songkran or the grand Songkran. Thai government has declared the Songkran Festival an extended public holiday to enable people to return to their hometown and reunite with others in their community. In addition the government also designated 13 April the Day of the Senior or Elderly. The occasion marks the appreciation for the senior population for their years of contribution to the family and country, and 14 April is Family Day to celebrate family love and togetherness.
What to do during the Songkran Festival
- To celebrate Songkran, there are many activities throughout Thailand according to regional tradition. Some of the activities include:
- Cleaning houses and public places such as temples, schools, and offices to welcome the New Year with cleanliness and fresh start
- Merit making by offering alms to monks in dedication to the late ancestors, listening to Buddhist preaching, and releasing birds and fish back to their natural habitat.
- Sprinkling water onto Buddha images and monks is an auspicious act to receive blessings for the New Year
- Building sand pagodas on temple ground. Bringing sand into the temple’s premise is considered a merit because the sand can be used for construction or restoration by the temple
- Pouring water onto elderly family members of the family or society to show respect and gratefulness and to ask for their blessing
- Enjoying folk performances and traditional games to preserve the Songkran tradition.
- Having friendly water fights using clean or scented water, exchanging New Year’s greetings during water play, and asking permission before throwing water at someone because he or she may not wish to get wet
[The Jordans and the Ferraris only engaged in #8 (unless pool is considered a “traditional game” and then #7 would apply) and we did not observe anyone “asking for permission” before throwing water!]
We took the train to lunch before getting started with the festivities. Saw a funny restaurant along the way called Eat Am Are Good Steak (translation got lost on this one).
We started our day eating bowls and bowls of noodles with Steve, Jenny and Lucy [a friend of Jenny’s from Vietnam].
We armed ourselves with water guns and headed out to Soi Cowboy.
Imagine a street lined with bars and everyone outside hitting anyone and everyone walking by with their water gun or buckets of water (sometimes ice water). SO MUCH FUN!
Songkran may be Mick’s new favorite holiday!
After many, many hours, we headed to Morning Night again to play some pool [Cathy & Mick headed home]. We had a stop on the way at the Speakeasies Bar (which is where I left my phone-oops) and lost Burke and Jeff. Steve, Lucy, Jenny and I played some pool, danced and had a great time.
I eventually got home and my phone had been found by Jeff & Burke. It turns out we ditched them and they had been looking for us, not the other way around, our bad.
The next day, we headed to Morning Night to celebrate Songkran some more and have water fight quality time. We all had a blast, but I think Mick had the most fun!
We turned in much earlier, thoroughly soaked. Jeff cooked pork chops, pasta and salad for dinner and we sang an early happy birthday to Burke. think this was the night I introduced Mick to Deadpool- maybe not completely appropriate, but he enjoyed it!
Sunday, we tried to take the river boat to some sites, but discovered it was closed for the holiday.
So, we walked around a little, had a beer at a great burger/beer place and Cathy and I went shopping – taking their version of BART. Eventually we found some traditional Thai items, but it took us a bit.
The Erawan Shrine, formally the Thao Maha Phrom Shrine, is a shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, that houses a statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of the Hindu god of creation Lord Brahma
That night, Mick and I challenged Jeff and Burke to another game of skimball, and we prevailed and the pool fingers definitely helped! We had a yummy meal (Rosso de Sera again!) and then headed to the local Irish bar, the Drunken Leprechaun, to enjoy some more libations and have another toast for Burke’s Birthday.
We had a yummy meal and then headed to the local Irish bar, the Drunken Leprechaun, to enjoy some more libations and have another toast for Burke’s Birthday.
Monday we took the river boat to see the Jim Thompson House and the Golden Mount.
Jim Thompson was an American who revived the silk industry after WWII – Burke is working on a movie script of his amazing life! His property was so beautiful and of course we had to buy a few things in the gift shop and have lunch at the cafe.
The Jim Thompson House is a museum in central Bangkok, Thailand, housing the art collection of American businessman and architect, Jim Thompson, the museum designer and former owner. Built in 1959, the museum spans one rectangular “rai” of land (approximately half an acre or 2023.43 meters). It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand; sporting vibrant jungle foliage in the heart of the city.
Following his relocation to Bangkok and the establishment of the Thai Silk Company Limited in 1948, Thompson also became a major collector of Southeast Asian art, which at the time, was not well-known internationally. He collected secular art not only from Thailand but from Burma, Cambodia, and Laos, frequently travelling to those countries on buying trips. His collection also consisted of white and blue porcelain from China, which made its way into Thailand around the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1958, Thompson began what was to be the pinnacle of his architectural achievement, a new home to live in and to showcase his art collection. Thompson disappeared in 1967 and his house came under the control of The James H. W. Thompson Foundation under the royal patronage of H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
The process of silk production is known as sericulture. Extracting raw silk starts by cultivating the silkworms on mulberry leaves. Once the worms start pupating in their cocoons, these are dissolved in boiling water in order for individual long fibers to be extracted and fed into the spinning reel.
We eventually got to the Golden Mount. After passing up a tuk tuk driver’s offer of one stop (everyone is always working an angle in Thailand), we found 2 taxis and headed up the long march, I mean walk, to the top. This was the hottest day, with the temp and humidity it was 109!
It was beautiful and we had great views of the city.
The Golden Mount
Wat Saket or “The Golden Mount” is a low hill crowned with a gleaming gold chedi. Within, the 58-metre chedi houses a Buddha relic and welcomes worshippers all year round. Its origins can be traced back to the Ayutthaya period (1350- 1767 AD). To get to the top requires a climb up some 300 steps, which encircle the chedi like a loosely coiled snake. The path is well-paved and the climb relatively easy if you avoid going at midday or during peak summer months [see above picture regarding time and temp when we visited!]
We took the river boat back, checking out the not-so-nice parts of Bangkok (shacks and very poor areas of the city).
Once we got home, we had another dip in the pool, changed and headed out to a rooftop bar where we met up with Steve & Jenny to celebrate Burke’s birthday. It was gorgeous and had a great view of the city.
Tuesday, we hired a driver to take us to Ayutthaya, an ancient city with 27+ temples and shrines. Ayutthaya Historical Park overs the ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya was founded by King Ramathibodi I in 1351 and was the capital of the country until its destruction by the Burmese Army in 1767.
Each temple was unique and beautiful. One of them had a huge Golden Buddha, which was amazing.
Wat Phanan Choeng
Wat Phanan Choeng was built in 1324, some 26 years before the city of Ayutthaya was officially founded. The highest building within the temple complex houses an immense (19 meters high) gilded seated Buddha from 1334 CE. This highly revered Buddha statue is called Luang Pho Tho by Thais, and Sam Pao Kong by Thai-Chinese. The statue is regarded as a guardian for mariners. Allegedly, prior to the destruction of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767 CE, tears fell from the Buddha’s eyes.
The story of Princess Soi Dok Mak
According to legend, Phra Chao Sai Nam Phung, a King who ruled before the founding of Ayutthaya, wanted to marry the daughter of a Chinese emperor.
When the Princess named Soi Dok Mak arrived by boat, the King was not there to welcome her. After having waited in vain a long time for the King’s return, the Princess was so sad that she killed herself by holding her breath. When the King finally returned he was stricken with grief and built the Wat Phanan Choeng on the spot where she was cremated.
It started to rain around lunch, so it was the perfect time to stop for food. We had a great family-style, Thai meal at a place our very sweet driver suggested.
We hit a few more temples and then headed home. Having a driver was the best way to travel and it was really, really cheap.
Wat Yai Chaimongkol was built by King U-thong in 1357 A.D. for use by monks returning from Ceylon after studying under Phra Vanarat Maha Thera. This group of monks, engaged mainly in meditation, was known as the Pa Kaeo Sect and the monasteny was originally known as Wat Pa Kaeo.
The king conferred the title of Somdej Phra Vanarat on the head of the sect and appointed him to the position of Patriarch on the Right Hand Side. Since it was the place where the patriarch stayed, the monastery was named Wat Chao Phya-thai, meaning Temple of the Supreme Patriarch.
In 1592 A.D. during the reign of King Naresuan the Great, the Burmese army tried subjugate Ayutthaya, but the king resisted the invasion and was victorious. Greater losses could have been inflicted on the Burmese, but many of the king’s regiments didn’t arrive in time to reinforce him. The king wanted to execute the officers of those regiments when the war ended, but Patriarch Vanarat begged the King to pardon them and advised him to build chedis in memory of his great victory.
One of these chedis was named Phra Chedi Chai Mongkol, or Chedi of the Auspicious Victory, and Chao PhyaThai came to be known as Wat Yai Chai Mongkol. The top of this chedi is visible to visitors from Bangkok as soon as they enter the boundary of Ayutthaya.
Wat Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relics) is located almost right in the center of Ayutthaya. Apart from being the symbolic center where the Buddha’s relics were enshrined, Wat Mahathat was also the residence of the Supreme Patriarch or leader of the Thai Buddhist monks. The temple is believed to be built during the 14th century A.D. (the early Ayutthaya period).
Wat Ratchaburana was founded in 1424 by King Borommarachathirat II. King Intharacha (r. 1409-1424) had three sons. Following the death of their father, the first and the second born led their armies to Ayutthaya in order to claim the throne. The princes fought one another and both died.The youngest brother, Chao Sam Phraya, was then invited to Ayutthaya and proclaimed King Borommaracha II. The king had two chedis built on the site where his brothers
engaged in battle and on their cremation site Wat Racha Burana was built.
Dinner was back at the burger place and then we hit the smaller morning night bar for a little more pool and beers with Steve and Jenny. Burke and I lasted a little longer than Cathy & Jeff even though our flight was super early on Wednesday, but overall it was a mellow evening.
Wednesday, we departed at 8am from the airport – sad to leave the Jordans but knowing we will see them soon. We experienced another weird time warp, arriving on Wednesday around 2pm.
Thanks to the Jordans for an amazing trip. Bangkok was beautiful, exotic and rough all at the same time. Our tummies are still sore from laughing, I know Burke will always remember this birthday, and it made it that much better enjoying it with the Jordans!!! Love you!
Happy Birthday, Burke!
You traveled along way to celebrate. I guess Kathy started this with Jeff’s 50th in New York! Your 50th year is a good time to travel and you still have the energy to enjoy it!
I loved the tangled wires…I have the same problem behind my TV’s and computer and printer…any suggestions?
Thank you for the grand tour of Bangkok..you did a good job!