So two full days in Bangkok, this is not bad! You can do a lot of things but you can easily stay longer too!
The first day I went to visit the classics, the Grand Palace and Wat Poh (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) and then I wandered here and there taking photos …
At the Grand Palais, I visited the textile museum and I must say it is really good! Very informative and interesting.
They explain you the various manners to weave, but also the dresses of the queen are exposed with magnificent embroidery! It also explains the different ways of folding the traditional Thai clothes with lots of little demonstrative and educational movies and also the actions of the King and Queen to help poor people in developing the weaving in the villages of Thailand.
On the ground floor of the museum you have a workshop that they call “studio” or “atelier” where you can try yourself traditional clothes, what I did! I found it great!
Otherwise, I did everything by foot, nothing is far from Khao San Road. On the way from the Grand Palace to Wat Poh, there was a small market where I had lunch… A little further, on sidewalks, amulets sellers … at first I wondered what they were selling 😕 and then looking at the guide book I realized … They are all with their little pocket magnifier (like my sweet daddy) to consider and look very closely at these small objects in terracotta or metal …
After that, I visited Wat Poh Temple and I must admit that I was exhausted by the heat at that time … so I only went to see the famous reclining Buddha which is very impressive! 🙂
After this very busy day, I had no courage to go to visit Wat Arun, so I just went to check how to get there the next day.
So I went back to the hotel and this is where you really appreciate the rooftop pool … this is just GREAT! 🙂
The sunset was a bonus! It only needed a small beer 😉 but we were not allowed to take drinks to the pool, shame!
After the first day, a little green curry chicken and sleep!
The next day, I met Anne-Sophie on the way to Wat Arun … pretty funny because it was in the street, at a big crossroads. We were going to cross the road, there were a couple of tourists, she and I. We all stopped at a pedestrian crossing, waiting for the little man goes green … Then the couple decided to cross another pedestrian crossing and suddenly changed direction.
Anne-Sophie looks left, right and decides to follow them and…so do I ! 😀
We, then found ourselves crossing at the same time and I asked her if she speaks English, she replied with her good little French accent (like mine!) « A little bit, I am French » …
From there, it was much easier! 😆 She had arrived the day before and she had planned to visit all the classics tourist places that I had done the previous day but ultimately discussing it , she decided to keep it for the next day and we then spent the day together.
We started our program with the visit of Wat Arun, magnificent temple! My favorite in Bangkok I think! A splendid 360 ° view of Bangkok.
After this visit, we decided to make a boat trip on the canals. Also superb! 1 hour ride, really beautiful!
Then we were looking for Chinatown. We walked a lot but we finally arrived right in the heart of Chinatown market, a maze of paths and alleys in an indoor market.
A parade of colours, scents, and animations … I loved it! We even crossed a flower market…
After all this, we ere very tired of walking, so we decided to take a taxi, which we were not able to bargain like usual 😉 but we did not care because we just wanted to go to our hotels.
Back to Khao San Road, we went for a splash in the pool. Pretty good! Huh Anne- Sophie ? 😉 And from there we decided to meet again later for a drink in one of the famous skyscraper in Bangkok to enjoy the view across Bangkok by night ! What needs to be just gorgeous …
And there … it was an experience , I must say at once very funny but frustrating nonetheless 🙄
So, it should be noted that I check the skyscrapers address in question and at the same time I had read reviews on trip advisor … the majority of comments insisted that there was a » dress code » to go to the bars … and they specified for the most part, the guys were not allowed to enter the bar when they were wearing shorts or open shoes , flip flops or other … so I told myself it is ok for girls, that should not be the same, as long as we are not wearing just a swimsuit 😕
So I just put the only dressed up top I had 🙂
We take a taxi next to Khao San Road and indicate the address to the taxi driver who agrees to put the counter! Amazing! 🙂
Half an hour to reach the skyscraper which is a luxurious hotel with bar and restaurant at the top …
It appears at the entrance of the hotel that it had to be written on our heads, as the hostess down told us immediately « For the Sky Bar? 64th floor, the lift is this way. » The lobby is beautiful, with chandeliers, a pianist who plays on a piano and touti quanti …
We cross this beautiful hall and go up in the elevator to the 64th floor. We are really excited about the idea of a drink under the stars with Bangkok at our feet …
But now, when the elevator door opens … this is the drama! The hostesses looks kindly at us and then tells us that in fact there is a dress code here and therefore, because of our shoes we can not enter 😕
Pfff … so here we are completely disappointed! Not really possible to go back to our hotels because it was half an hour drive to come…
We read the panel to be sure … but inevitably it does say, « We do not allow (…) flip flops and Birkenstock » and BINGO! Anne-Sophie is wearing flip-flops and I am wearing Birkenstock…so this is a damn shame!
There’s nothing to do … they do not make any exception …
We tried to look for shoes to buy in the neighbourhood … but everything was closed.
So we finally gave up and take a taxi back to Khao San Road … and this time of course, the driver refused to put the meter 😉
Here we are… we drowned our misfortune in a beer and ate on Khao San Road. We then got a foot massage for consolation 😛
That was my second day in busy Bangkok! The next day I go to Cambodia … Stay tuned 🙂