(first) 3 weeks in Thailand

Bangkok. Wow. It is hard to know where to begin! Matt's metaphor for Bangkok is an amusement park ride that is all set up, being used by millions of people, then you realize it was never safety inspected. It is full of paradoxes: old yet modern, chaotic yet rooted in tradition, exciting yet terrifying. We LOVE it!

I have felt truly safe everywhere I have gone - regardless of the time of day. People are incredibly helpful, kind and patient. It is a very culturally diverse city with all religions respectfully practicing their beliefs openly. The vibe is laid back despite the sense of white-knuckle urgency felt in the local traffic. Matt met a Buddhist monk, Chao, who has been having us join him for breakfast. He only eats once per day and before noon. What an honor! Chao is so generous with the food he receives. It is very humbling to receive the gifts of a monk. He has invited us to join him again tomorrow.

Matt and I arrived on November 20, and it took about a week to get settled in our neighborhood of Bang Kapi. We are a bit off the beaten path, about 1.5 hours from the main tourist destinations via light rail. First on the list was getting local SIM cards for our phones, closely followed by exploring our immediate vicinity for a good grocery store, fresh market, drug store, etc. Except for the time it takes to get in and out of the city center, we really love our location. Our apartment is right in front of one of the canals with ferry service connecting to the Chao Praya river. We haven't yet ridden a canal ferry but will soon. They are a traditional long boat style and go fast! Canals here have lovely walkways lined with flower boxes running along both sides, which is a really nice way to get your daily steps in without being on the noisy, stressful streets. It's lucky we found the place we are staying! The canal walks are a huge bonus!

As most of you know, I'm (partly) here to take advantage of Thailand's inexpensive, high-quality private healthcare since I have stopped working. I had to get a prescription written by a Thai doctor for my oncology medicine (my others are common meds and filled as if over the counter at pharmacies here), so had an appointment with an oncologist. I was scheduled for an appointment the same day I called, and the doctor spent an entire hour with me. At the end of the appointment, I told him I'd like to seek treatment alternatives to PAP machines (which I can't tolerate) for my sleep apnea - since I know my sleep apnea negatively contributes to my overall health. He referred me to an ENT and I was walked to her office from oncology for an appointment that happened almost as soon as I arrived. The ENT examined me (which was something my prior US healthcare providers never did...weird, huh?). She could easily see that my issue is likely due to structural issues with my soft palette and uvula. It is about $40 US to have an appt with a specialist here and about $600 for an overnight stay in the hospital, if and when needed. The only surprise I ran into was the cost of my oncology med. About $30 a month in the US, they wanted $100 US a month to fill it. Once I figured out they gave me a name-brand, I was able to switch it to a generic and pay the same as US.

It takes a while to wrap your head around the money exchange and I'm still struggling with the many coins (which one? how much?). It is very affordable in Bangkok - we are paying about $400 US a month in rent, and two can easily eat out for less than $20.

Some of the fun things we have done in Bangkok so far include: dinner and a show (traditional Thai dance with live musicians), a guided tuk-tuk tour of several of the main downtown attractions (including the 24/7 flower market, China town, and temples), visited part of the National Museum of Thailand. Next week we plan to go back downtown to tour the place grounds (gorgeous!!!), see the golden Buddha, and revisit the National Museum (it is excellent and vast). We will do all of that and more, I'm sure.

Here are some photos from our time here, so far. These first few are from the flower market. Artisans weave beautiful wreaths and handiworks from flowers and leaves. Many of these are for offerings at temples. They also prepare both flowers and vegetables for markets across the city.

Here are some pics from our tuk-tuk tour. We were not able to go onto the Palace grounds due to an event related to the recent death of their much beloved Queen Mother whose son now represents the Kingdom. Temple and palace architecture downtown really is stunning. There is incredible craftsmanship in the adornment of these beautiful, revered structures - many of which are hundreds of years old. The river shown in the pics in the bottom row is the Chao Phraya which runs through the heart of the city.

The flower shown above is a lotus, which are very important to Thai culture - not only because of their central role in Buddhism (symbolizing purity, spiritual awakening, and enlightenment) - but also in everyday life (art, medicine, gardens, festivals, etc.). Our guide bought each of us a lotus bud and taught us to gently pull back and tuck the petals in to create the 'blossom' like the one above. These are common offerings are shrines and temples.

Our tuk-tuk driver spoke very little English, but like most everyone in Thailand was kind, smiling, and a good sport. Driving (and driving IN) a tuk-tuk in Bangkok traffic is not for the faint of heart. He maneuvered masterfully. You really have to be on your game at all times and communicating (without words or horns) with other drivers regarding your intent constantly. People only use horns in Thailand to tootle a hello. Thai people are very patient.

Finally, just this morning on our walk back from breakfast with Chao and his other friends we saw a shy River Monitor Lizard. This big boy was about 2.5 feet long at the body and easily over 5 feet from tip to tail.