One Night (and Day) in Bangkok

After another long flight from Tokyo, Bangkok’s modern airport was a wonder to behold. The five-star King Pullman hotel was an even more welcome sight, with its stylish lobby, sumptuous rooms and extensive breakfast buffet. It was the world on a plate with dim sum, sushi, made-to-order omelets and fresh papaya. Stomachs crammed full, our intrepid band of 6 American journalists began the daunting task of seeing Bangkok in five hours.

We jammed into a Skytrain filled with students to reach a pier where we stepped over sleeping dogs into a swift river taxi. The views revealed a diversity of architecture from sparkling new high-rises to crumbling docks and enticing temple roofs.

The ride ended at a pier with a crowded market, filled with people doing their best to make a living with what little they have: buckets of street food, flowers and bits of straw being fashioned into folk art, and a cute little boy who appeared to be selling “information.” His mom insisted I snap his picture.
People encouraged us to shop at their stalls without being overly pushy. The question, “How much?” was answered with an amount shown on a calculator, and bargaining began in the universal language of numbers. 

At the grand palace, a sign warned visitors to beware of “wily strangers.” Female tourists who were unprepared for the dress code waited in line to “borrow” shawls to cover themselves.
 Without enough time to really explore the history of the place and its emerald buddha, we were content with people-watching, dodging the soldiers and school groups, and posing for pictures.