After our Mekong River Cruise, we stopped in Bangkok for two and a half days to see the sights. It was a return for me after 45 years. I had spent 8 days there in 1970 during my Navy days on temporary duty from Vietnam.
Bangkok is the center of the ancient kingdom of Siam and all its spectacular culture and is today a vibrant, fast growing commercial center in Southeast Asia. It is also just as hot and humid as I remembered.
Led by our talented French guide, Annie Minisloux, we toured palaces and temples of stunning beauty, adorned in acres of gold leaf, crafted of wood, stone and mosaic to reflect the cultural and spiritual traditions of Thailand. We also toured traditional neighborhoods where solitary craftsmen fashioned alms bowls for monks, jewelers crafted amulets, artisans crafted images of Buddha, and much more. One night we visited a huge fresh flower market and ate in a small restaurant Martha Stewart had visited. We traveled in tuk tuks on land and on ferries on the Chao Phraya River and chartered motorboats on the various khlongs, or canals, which bisect the older neighborhoods.
We found the people of Bangkok to be welcoming and friendly, industrious, and adapting quickly to the ways of a huge, modern city.
We spend our last morning visiting the Mercy center, founded decades ago by Fr. Joe Maier, an extraordinary missionary who has devoted his life to the children of the worst slums of Bangkok. We know Fr. Joe from his visits to our parish each year to raise money for his incredible work.
If you are interested in my photos from 1970, that slideshow is further down in my galleries on this website.