Life in Bangsaen rolls on at a lackadaisical pace and I have no complaints. It's really the best of both worlds here because Bangkok and all her magnificent excesses are just an hour down the road. I went there on Tuesday to take care of some things and see Min and Jason, friends from the States bound for her sister's wedding in Phuket. Luckily, I had the day off thanks to university graduation and didn't need to teach again until Wednesday night. It was great to catch up with them over shopping at
Suan Lum Night Bazaar and riverside cocktails at their hotel,
Navalai. (As an aside, I'd recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Bangkok. It's on one of my favorite streets, Phra Athit, known for its galleries and arty boutiques and restaurants. It's convenient to Khao San Road and the Grand Palace area, but not a skytrain stop, the only downside.) Our group of seven split into two vehicles on the way to the night bazaar so I snapped a fuzzy picture of Min and Jason (on either side of their future relative) on their first tuk-tuk ride.
Before meeting up with all of them, I stopped by Sanam Luang, the royal grounds in front of the Grand Palace and funeral site of Princess Galyani Vadhana. She died in January but they just held the funeral earlier this month, following Thai royal tradition to wait for an auspicious date. The gilded crematorium pyre and other temporary funeral buildings will remain in place through November. Masses flock here every day and night to pay their respects and perhaps forget about all the political conflicts for a while.
Here, people take photos of a painting of the late princess.
Lines are long for an inside view.
The crematorium pyre, modeled on Mount Meru, a mythical Buddhist site.
More details of the lavish structures.
But alas, the political conflicts continue and Min called me first thing the next morning with the news that protestors had taken over the airport. So instead of a flight to Phuket, the group piled into a minivan for an overnight ride to Phuket. I hope they made it okay and I'm praying this whole mess is settled before my cousin Andrea and her husband Jason get here in just three short weeks. I know we'll have a wonderful time drama or not, but I'm still hoping like mad for not.
Life in Bangsaen rolls on at a lackadaisical pace and I have no complaints. It's really the best of both worlds here because Bangkok and all her magnificent excesses are just an hour down the road. I went there on Tuesday to take care of some things and see Min and Jason, friends from the States bound for her sister's wedding in Phuket. Luckily, I had the day off thanks to university graduation and didn't need to teach again until Wednesday night. It was great to catch up with them over shopping at Suan Lum Night Bazaar and riverside cocktails at their hotel, Navalai. (As an aside, I'd recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Bangkok. It's on one of my favorite streets, Phra Athit, known for its galleries and arty boutiques and restaurants. It's convenient to Khao San Road and the Grand Palace area, but not a skytrain stop, the only downside.) Our group of seven split into two vehicles on the way to the night bazaar so I snapped a fuzzy picture of Min and Jason (on either side of their future relative) on their first tuk-tuk ride.
Before meeting up with all of them, I stopped by Sanam Luang, the royal grounds in front of the Grand Palace and funeral site of Princess Galyani Vadhana. She died in January but they just held the funeral earlier this month, following Thai royal tradition to wait for an auspicious date. The gilded crematorium pyre and other temporary funeral buildings will remain in place through November. Masses flock here every day and night to pay their respects and perhaps forget about all the political conflicts for a while.
Here, people take photos of a painting of the late princess.
Lines are long for an inside view.
The crematorium pyre, modeled on Mount Meru, a mythical Buddhist site.
More details of the lavish structures.
But alas, the political conflicts continue and Min called me first thing the next morning with the news that protestors had taken over the airport. So instead of a flight to Phuket, the group piled into a minivan for an overnight ride to Phuket. I hope they made it okay and I'm praying this whole mess is settled before my cousin Andrea and her husband Jason get here in just three short weeks. I know we'll have a wonderful time drama or not, but I'm still hoping like mad for not.
