Monday, January 15, 2007
Monday January 15th 2007 - Bangkok
I made it to the city center at Siam station this morning. From there is was a short walk to the 'Jim Thompson House'. Jim Thompson was a fellow from the UK who is single handedly responsible for putting Thai Silk on the Map. He became a Silk Magnate but in 1967 at the age of 61 he went missing in the jungle of Malaysia. No one knows what happened to him, whether he got lost and died or whether he was kidnapped.
In any case the visit to his house is lovely. It is beautifully preserved and shows art and sculptures and porcelain from Burma, Thailand, China and all around Asia. The traditional house construction in wood is beautiful. The shop attached sells silk items and clothing. After a stop for lunch, banking and printing at the Paragon centre back at Siam, I head up Ratchadamri road to the Baiyoke Sky tower. From bottom to top the tower measures 309 meters and then there are other structures above that. And it only takes a minute an a half to get to the top in a rather rapid elevator. It is a hazy day so the view although amazing is not clear in the distance. From here Bangkok seems so huge. And the amount of tall buildings and roads are almost overwhelming.
Back down and on my way I meander along the market streets in the area where you can find anything to buy from jeans to jewelry. And if you are a shopper, you'd be really at home here. But if you are like me and shopping is way down the list after going to the dentist...then perhaps you skip the crowds and shop when you need to no matter where that ends up being.
Bye for now
I made it to the city center at Siam station this morning. From there is was a short walk to the 'Jim Thompson House'. Jim Thompson was a fellow from the UK who is single handedly responsible for putting Thai Silk on the Map. He became a Silk Magnate but in 1967 at the age of 61 he went missing in the jungle of Malaysia. No one knows what happened to him, whether he got lost and died or whether he was kidnapped.
In any case the visit to his house is lovely. It is beautifully preserved and shows art and sculptures and porcelain from Burma, Thailand, China and all around Asia. The traditional house construction in wood is beautiful. The shop attached sells silk items and clothing. After a stop for lunch, banking and printing at the Paragon centre back at Siam, I head up Ratchadamri road to the Baiyoke Sky tower. From bottom to top the tower measures 309 meters and then there are other structures above that. And it only takes a minute an a half to get to the top in a rather rapid elevator. It is a hazy day so the view although amazing is not clear in the distance. From here Bangkok seems so huge. And the amount of tall buildings and roads are almost overwhelming.
Back down and on my way I meander along the market streets in the area where you can find anything to buy from jeans to jewelry. And if you are a shopper, you'd be really at home here. But if you are like me and shopping is way down the list after going to the dentist...then perhaps you skip the crowds and shop when you need to no matter where that ends up being.
Bye for now
# posted by AdeC @ 1:01 AM 
