Thai food definitely has its own unique flavors and we were lucky enough to hit a local festival and sample some things not on the restaurant menus.
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We arrived here just in time to take advantage of a free guided tour that showed us the highlights of Wat Phra Kaew, including the Emerald Buddha. There is an amazing amount of gold, glass, and glitter at this place. There is also an amazing amount of tourists milling about. The only way to get a photo that doesn't contain a clump of random people is to either do roof line shots or close ups. Fortunately, this is the perfect place to take those types of pictures.
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Temples abound here in Bangkok, but this one has a few extra things that make it worthy of its own post: A Thai massage school where we got a wonderful mind-numbing traditional Thai massage for $9. Slightly fewer tourists (few enough not to get shoved around by crazed selfie-taking fiends). Free bottled water. And cats..
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We weren't quite sure what to expect of Cambodian food, but it turned out to be a fantastic experience trying out their local dishes.
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Two days of temple hopping and 600 photos later, I'm trying to figure out the best way to concisely represent what we saw. I know, tough job. Basically, if you're ever in Cambodia, go see the temples. They can be a little busy, but you can usually find a quiet corner somewhere to sit, gulp down some water (we were in 35 degree weather), and day dream about all of the stories those walls could tell.
That said, I'm going to try a gallery for this post because there are just too many pics for the regular format. Enjoy.
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It's time to say, "Sayonara, Tokyo." We've had a lot of fun in this city and the people are very gracious, polite, and eager to share their culture. They also play the sounds of birds chirping into their subway stations. I'm not a fan of big cities in general, but if I had to pick a favorite, I think Tokyo would be it...for now. Unfortunately, we can't share everything we've done or else this post might never end. So, here are the best of the rest!.
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The Japanese word "otaku" is used to describe people who love anything to do with Japanese anime and manga (Japanese comics). Here are a few things that set our inner otakus buzzing with delight. Oh, and we also found a swarm of minions milling about....
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The Tsukiji Fish Market is known as the world's largest fish and seafood market. Closed on Sundays and some Wednesdays, the inner markets (restricted to very few visitors) can open as early as 3 a.m. while the outer markets typically close around 2 p.m. We wandered through the tight alleyways of the outer market, watching as the shopkeepers, customers, and tourists mingled alongside each other, taking cash, taking food, and taking pictures. There was barely any fishy smell, which is unusual for any place where seafood is exposed to the open air, and is a testament to the extreme cleanliness of the Japanese people and to the freshness of their seafood.
Although the market has been located in Tsukiji since 1935, it's slated to move in November 2016 to a new location in Toyosu. We were very happy to experience this piece of Tokyo before it moves on.
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Hayao Miyazaki (think the Japanese version of Walt Disney) wanted to create a museum that immersed visitors into the world of his animations, and he succeeded. The Ghibli Museum gives a glimpse into the beauty of old style animation in a whimsically designed building where you never know which character or piece of memorabilia will trigger a deep sense of nostalgia. If you're curious, check out a few of his movies: "My Neighbor Totoro", "Howl's Moving Castle", "Kiki's Delivery Service", and "Ponyo". The museum does have a few minor inconveniences (it's situated outside of central Tokyo, tickets must be pre-purchased online, and no pictures are allowed indoors) but it's well worth checking out if you're a fan of his work..
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