I spent six days in this capital. Running against
unforgiving time constraints, I spent most of my days walking
around a city wedged between two worlds.
"One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble . . . Not
much between despair and ecstasy."
Ancient Thai temples.
Go-go bars.
Authentic Thai cuisine.
McDonald's.
According to Buddhist philosophy, life is a cycle. If that's
the case, Bangkok is more than a dazzling capital filled with
dichotomies. It's a city constantly being reborn.
As the air-conditioner furiously churned in the van darting past
walkers and drivers in tuk-tuks, or small open-ended Thai cabs,
I feared that I would melt under the sizzling Thai sun. The van
zigzagged through Bangkok's bustling streets en route to the Temple
of the Emerald Buddha, also known as the Wat Phra Kaew and Grand
Palace.
The Grand Palace
Tourists fortified with sun block streamed through the palace
gates for a glimpse of the Buddha made of jasper quartz and nephrite
jade.
In Thailand, roughly 95% of Thais practice Buddhism. The Emerald
Buddha is a sacred place that transcends its architectural wonder
and national monument status. I fought my way through the crowds
for a glimpse of the Buddha, which sat atop an elevated altar.
Nearby, Thai Buddhists huddled around monks, who in Thai society
are like priests, highly respected and distinguishable because
they wear special clothing. Monks in bright orange robes and with
shaved heads offered blessings and nodded to the Buddhist devotees,
who stood around a pool of water offering lotus flowers in reverence.
The long lines and throngs of exuberant tourists eventually settled
enough for us to study the murals of the Ramakian, the Thai version
of the Indian epic, the Ramayana, which helped shape classical
Thai arts.
The murals, which lined the walls of the compound, were originally
painted during the reign of Rama I, who ruled over Thailand from
1782 until 1809. Regardless, it was an amazing testimony to Thailand's
past.
Next, I ventured to the Wat Pho, or the Temple of the Reclining
Buddha, which is the largest reclining Buddha in Thailand and
site of the country's largest collection of Buddha images. The
figure is modeled out of plaster, around a brick core and finished
in gold leaf.
Guides told me that the Reclining Buddha illustrates the passing
of Buddha into enlightenment and underscored the place of Buddhism
in Thai society.
The Four Noble Truths that life is suffering, that the origin
of suffering is attachment, that it is possible to cease suffering
and that there is a path to the end of suffering are the cornerstones
of Buddhism. According to Buddhist philosophy, craving and desire
keep people on the wheel of birth and rebirth, but Buddhists also
believe it is possible to escape from human suffering and attain
enlightenment.
In a way, it was fitting that the tour started with a look at
history, pride and religion.
Infamously famous
The seedier side of Bangkok proved just as close.
The red light districts are hard to avoid. Bangkok is famous
for them and, because of them, the city has been dubbed "the
sex capital of the world." Strip clubs, dance joints and
some bars testified to this large industry.
During morning workouts in one of Bangkok's business districts,
I took a wrong turn and found myself in one such district. I got
out of there quickly.
Later, I visited the Human Development Foundation, a non-profit
in Bangkok's largest slum, which operates a center that works
with children orphaned by AIDS. Despite public awareness campaigns,
AIDS remains a social taboo in Thailand. The center helps children
whose parents infected them with AIDS and later died. Families
disowned ill relatives, or the children of AIDS parents.
The illness had dwarfed many of the children that I met. The
foundation was off the beaten track for tourists, but sometimes
learning about a country is best done away from glittery tourist
spots.
Thailand was never colonized, but some say that the country has
been "self-colonized" by giving way to the powerful
sway of American and Western culture. Many of the women in the
streets wore business suits as they dashed to and from work. I
didn't see many people in traditional Thai outfits. When I shopped
at street bazaars, I found American clothing no traditional Thai
shirts or skirts anywhere.
It used to be that Thais enjoyed leisurely meals, but I often
saw them eating on the go. McDonald's has more than 100 sites
in Thailand, selling burgers, fries and cola in the land of rice.
The Thais I met pointed out that Bangkok moved faster than the
rest of Thailand. They said Thais in Bangkok valued punctuality,
but it was less important in others parts of Thailand.
In six days, I couldn't begin to understand that complexities
that formed Bangkok and its distinct culture. By the final morning,
though, I developed a theory on why Thailand has been called "Land
of a Thousand Smiles" perhaps it is because Thais have figured
out how to live in two worlds at once.
IF YOU GO
Here are some tips for making the most of a visit to Bangkok:
-- Hotel concierges can provide good advice on local sites to
see.
-- Be prepared for long lines. Try to visit the most popular
places early or late in the day.
-- Fall and spring are good times to travel in Thailand because
the weather is better, but be advised: Thailand is usually very
warm or just plain hot.
-- Be sure to show respect to Buddhism, the main religion of
Thailand.
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