First Weekend in Thailand

Finally, we got to explore Bangkok! This weekend, the four of us visited a variety of locations from Chatuchak market, the largest market in Thailand, to Ayutthaya, the country’s formal capital. Chatuchak was a very interesting experience. Anything you can imagine was sold there. First, we walked past stalls selling the traditional souvenirs and items you’d expect from a market. But, once we got to the back of the market, everything from foxes to falcons could be purchased, all for less than $1,500USD. In order to escape the mid-day heat and humidity, we decided to travel downtown to Dusit Palace – a former home turned museum of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. We got to explore the incredible artwork made in his honor. Many of the items were decorated with beetlewings, which provide an emerald hue to the standard gold pieces.

On Sunday, we visited Ayutthaya with our Thai student counterparts from Kasetsart University. They showed us around the old temples and took us to some amazing places. For lunch, we went to a traditional noodle restaurant. We each eat three bowls of the soup, even in the 90° heat! For dinner, we went to a seafood restaurant. We had around 30 dishes for the 10 of us. By the end, we were all very full from the delicious food. Now, we need to get our rest for an exciting day of work ahead of us.