Bangkok Thailand offers easily a week worth of worthwhile things to do. While experiencing the culture and antiquities, we also enjoyed walking the streets and getting to know the people of today. The sights and sounds of Bangkok Thailand are a tourist attraction in their own rite. The tuk-tuk is an easy and affordable mode of transportation that sometimes offers a thrill and often comes with a surprise or two.The tuk-tuk is a motorized three wheel vehicle. The motor bike in the front pulls a sort of covered chariot where the guests sit. The tuk-tuk was named for the noise the motor makes. It is not unusual to see a dozen or more tuk-tuks lined up on a street corner near any tourist site waiting for riders and therefore, they are always easy to hire and to negotiate pricing with.
While riding in the tuk-tuks, we saw elephants with riders on some of the rural roads, we routinely saw motor bikes with families of 3-4 people and bags and boxes piled up scooting along the road. People on the motor bikes and scooters generally carry drinks with them in a plastic bag with a straw so they can easily sip while driving. These bags hold about 10 ounces of fluid and the drink is poured directly into the bag.We passed a McDonald’s in Bangkok with a 10 foot statue of Ronald outside. He is posed like a Buddhist with his hands held up in the traditional Buddhist greeting. McDonald’s are popular tourist spots because of the free Wi-Fi hotspots offered.
The early morning brings busy streets, with monks roaming around asking for food. A part of the Thai and Buddhist culture is for most people to become monks for up to a year to become closer to their beliefs. The monks take to the streets each morning and the locals have their gifts ready for them, including food, money and anything else they may need. It’s really a fascinating scene to see a dozen monks, all dressed in bright orange garbs walking along the busy streets at sunrise. Street vendors are setting up their stands for the day, deliveries are made and children are running off to school or doing errands.
While the store fronts by day seem to be just that, the families who run the shops also live there. At bedtime, the counters and chairs are pushed aside and bed rolls are set up for the family. When it’s time for a meal, they go to the street vendors for their meal and sit outside the storefront and eat. Without a kitchen or fridge, they buy the food just as they are ready to eat it.
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