WAKE UP!
On our first official morning in Bangkok, we woke up to what sounded like a car alarm going off in distance, yet getting closer. After listening with focus for a while, we agreed it must be some sort of bird. We later discovered it is a Koel bird, from the cuckoo family. Check out this quick video, to get the sound.

I instantly fell in love with the sound of the Koel — an exotic wake-up call and reminder that I am in a different world right now. I jump out of bed excited to begin our Day 1 in Bangkok! Today, we are playing total touristas and visiting The Grand Palace and the Reclining Buddha over at Wat Pho. It’s not that far from our sweet little B & B in the Banglamphu area.

Downstairs, our hosts have set up a table for us. Each evening we get to request whatever we want for breakfast. Western (eggs and toast) or Thai style (rice & curry. Or, a fresh and healthy fruit plate. This first morning we chose the Western and Fruit Plate. We had barely sat down before we were served fresh cappuccinos, orange juice and a basket of toast. Though the egg yolks seemed more orange than back home, they were good. The Fruit Plate was delicious! Passion Fruit. Dragon Fruit. Water Melon. Papaya. Yum! A perfect start for a day of walking ahead. To walk the streets, is to feel the place. Our lovely host informs us that we can catch the air-conditioned bus number 3, which runs pretty frequently.

MORNING STREETS
It was around 8:30am when we got out into the warm morning air. Already the city street was fairly bustling for a Saturday. Within a block or so we crossed over the canal. On the other side of the bridge things really started cooking – literally!

A wall of food carts were already cooking up a storm, with all sorts of enticing colors and smells. Good thing we already ate! Walking around here is like a foodie and street photographer’s heaven! Add into the mix a decaying city set, with charming old buildings seeping out so many stories of bygone eras. Sounds of scooters buzzed all around us—but, amazingly not a lot of honking. There’s a lot going on, yet the vibe is mellow. No stress. Everyone’s just doing their own thing, at their own pace. Even the Tuk-Tuk drivers only casually ask, “Where you going?” And if you politely say “No thanks,” they will not ask a second time. Very cool.

STREET CROSSING
So, we had barely even gone a mile towards our destination of the Grand Palace, before getting lost in a street food trance. And then, I spotted a cool looking wat across the street. It was on the way, so we may as well see it. It would be great to compare this “little place” to the palace! I saw an opportunity between two tuk-tuks and dashed across the street to figure out the name of the temple. The full name is pretty long—Wat Chanasongkhram Ratchaworamahawihan. Before I could even begin to pronounce it, Wendy also made it across the street with another group of ladies. Crossing as a group is good strategy!

Being that this was our very first wat, we had no idea what to expect. It was pretty wild scene, as soon as we walked through the entry way, from the street. My eyes were immediately met by dragons running up bright red pillars, guiding me to the rooftop adorned with mythical peacock creatures! A huge, colorful Quan Yin guarded the entrance of an altar room displaying a myriad of incarnations of The Buddha. All this eye candy, and we had not even made it to the actual Wat Chanasongkhram.