The point of DIY nature travel is finding exotic places where adventurous souls can safely find scenic wonders and nature at its best without going on expensive tours. We chose Thailand  because it’s been open to tourism far longer than its neighbors on the peninsula. We felt confident we could muddle about safely without speaking the language. The lovely Thai people proved us right.

Leaving the US from Chicago we flew nearly over the N. Pole. The vastness of the northern tundra is spectacular. Time zones tick off rapidly at the top of the globe where longitudinal lines converge.

We watched the sun disappear and then reappear in the west. The 14 time zones ticked off quickly because we were near the pole. There’s a lot of empty tundra in Siberia before the gulags, mines and roads start to appear.

Bangkok is bustling, colorful, entertaining, polluted and huge, with a population nearing 7 million. Thais are incredibly busy. Threading through the vendors and street cafes is daunting. Apparently there are no vendor licenses required, nor zoning or building codes. Tourists of every flavor. Our hotel in the Euro-trash ghetto was lovely at $30/night. Side street massages, tattoos, laundry, and dentistry available until the wee hours.

Canal tours by longtail boats, named for the very long propeller shafts, are a good way to see some neighborhoods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natives have invented ingenious methods of survival. Most seem healthy and well fed. Food is abundant and reasonably priced. Nearly every square foot of sidewalk is used to sell something.

Ornate Buddhist temples or Wats are ubiquitous. There are simple wooden ones with lovely carvings to the most glitzy imaginable. Thailand’s history is long and varied. The old rubs shoulders with the modern. Living in a country as young as the United States, it’s hard to comprehend just how much ancient history impinges on current affairs elsewhere. On gallery walls of wats, religious buildings, history lessons are drawn in graphic detail.

The Royal Palace complex, started in 1782 is the grandest of all.  The impression upon entering is overwhelming glitz. A spectacular temple houses the sacred Emerald Buddha. Every surface of the many buildings is covered with gold leaf, mirrors, and colorful mosaic tiles.

Craig was wearing shorts so had to rent appropriate long pants so as not to offend the Buddha. (If I were the Buddha I might be offended by those pants.) Shoes and hats are removed in the temples. One must have covered arms and legs.  The soles of one’s feet should never face the Buddha.

Next; to the Dusit zoo. Inside the cages are the usual suspects, some in comfortable situations, others in piteous ones. However, outside the cages on the park grounds we found a stork rookery and a lake full of water monitor lizards and turtles.

As we relaxed on the bank, a large monitor crept onto the bank and snagged a turtle. (I restrained myself from trying to save it; monitors have to eat too.) It took him awhile to turn it around, before swallowing it in one gulp.

Before leaving Bangkok, join the throngs getting inexpensive street side massages….then brave an overnight bus to Chiang Mai, the hub of northern Thailand.

 

Lots more on that to follow. For now, I’ll throw in a few more pictures I liked. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click the following link if interested in the introduction to Thailand video.https://youtu.be/1S2VMkeMEbc