Off to see the world: Bangkok

Nous commençons par les centres commerciaux (il y en a plein, tous collés les uns aux autres) et nous visitons la maison de Jim Thompson, construite selon la tradition thaïlandaise avec de nombreuses œuvres d'art, c'était un ancien agent de la CIA qui s'est établi à Bangkok après la 2nd guerre mondiale pour faire commerce de la soie (dans le magasin il y avait un pashmina à 1400euros) et qui disparu mystérieusement en 1967. Nous allons manger le soir avec le cousin d'Helen dans un restaurant Japonais où l'on fait cuire notre propre viande sur un bbq.

Le lendemain visite du temple Arun, de l'immense palais royale avec le bouddha de Jade. Nous nous arrêtons au MBK Centre pour voir des combats de boxe Thai, avec plusieurs combats de différentes catégories (2 finirons par KO) Et nous allons boire un verre au Lebua Sky Bar où a été tourné Hangover 2 au 64ème étage (mieux qu'à Singapour et ses 57 étages).

Le dernier jour nous allons voir Wat Pho avec la grande statue du bouddha dormant et nous trouvons une pâtisserie végétalienne où je peux manger une gaufre! Hourra!

Nous avions un peu d’appréhension avant d'arriver sur Bangkok mais au final, c'est une ville très dynamique avec des jolies sites (comme le palais ou les temples), il y a juste trop de trafic!

We started with shopping centres (there are an awful lot of them) and then visited the Jim Thompson House. Jim Thompson was an American posted to Thailand with the OSS (forerunner of the CIA) in WWII. He decided to return after the war and rejuvenated the traditional cottage industry of silk manufacturing - to such an extent that the Jim Thompson brand is now a well-known luxury brand (there was a really nice pashmina in the shop for only £1100). Jim Thompson himself disappeared mysteriously in Malaysia in 1967 but left behind his magnificent house, which is actually six traditional Thai houses transported from the countryside to the centre of Bangkok and linked together with corridors, and his collection of Thai art. We were given a tour in French by a Thai teenager in excellent, though accented, French. Some of the other members of our tour group wouldn't stop whispering about how they couldn't understand her throughout the entire tour, and at the end suggested she needed to work on her accent. I was fuming at their arrogance and lack of respect, and unkindness towards a young girl trying to help. And people wonder why I think the French are rude...

In the evening we went to eat with my cousin, who's been living in Bangkok for the best part of a decade, and between them he and Guillaume ate probably a whole cow plus some pigs. It's good to see Guillaume eating!!

The following day we went to Wat Arun (unfortunately currently being restored) and the Grand Palace, with the Emerald Buddha (in his 'Gold Season' clothes - he has three different outfits for the Hot Season, Rainy Season and Gold Season) which apparently was stolen from neighbouring Laos. In the evening we went to see a Muay Thai fight night, which I watched with my back towards the ring as boxing makes me feel a little queasy. Guillaume enjoyed it though, especially when a half-French girl won a particularly vicious match. Afterwards we headed to the Lebua Sky Bar - 64 floors up - for a drink. In Singapore the sky bar was only 57 floors up, so we're getting higher.

On our final day in Bangkok we went to Wat Pho to see the enormous reclining Buddha before meeting my cousin for lunch and some vegan waffles for Guillaume. True happiness is vegan cakes, apparently.

We weren't really sure whether we'd like Bangkok as we'd been advised to not stay very long, but in the end we liked it. Dynamic, some really impressive temples and palaces, but far, far too much traffic.