I'm back from visiting an orphanage in Thailand

[Bodhisattva]

Lumpini Park

Elders doing elder things:



Water monitor lizard:



Water monitor lizard:



Not a water monitor lizard:



I'm guessing this is where the water monitor lizards go to get swoll.

 

[jabcmb]

I’ve enjoyed your informative posts and pics. The Land of Smiles is a different world that assaults the senses but usually in a positive way. Good luck!

 

[Bodhisattva]

Wat Pho (also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha)






Two peaceful big boys:



Big feet:



Lining the wall behind the Reclining Buddha are 108 bronze bowls. The bowls symbolize the 108 positive actions or virtues that Buddha practiced on his path to enlightenment. Vistors can purchase a bowl of coins (satangs) and drop one coin into each of the 108 bowls. This act is believed to bring one good karma and fortune. I made the 108 donations, so I should be all stocked up on good karma.



ETA: Wat Pho is pronounced "Po" in Thai. In Vietnamese, that spelling is pronounce "fuh" and means "beef noodle soup," which is Vietnam's national dish. I told my wife I was going to the Temple of Beef Noodle Soup, where they had numerous soup stations for visitors to sample. She was amazed that there was such a thing and wanted to go there on our trip together next year. After letting her marvel at the concept for a bit, I then told her that the temple had nothing to do with beef noodle soup, and that she was once again the dupe to one of my clever ploys. She said that not only was I not funny, I was, in fact, quite stupid. Vietnamese chicks have no sense of humor. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Bodhisattva]

Crossing the Chao Phraya River to visit Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn).







Roll Tide!



After crossing back over the river, I took a tuk tuk back to my hotel room.



After about four hours in the heat and (especially) the humidity, I needed to shower and change before going out in the afternoon. That became my tourist routine. Get out of the hotel as the sun is rising for some morning sightseeing. Shower and change clothes. Afternoon sightseeing. Shower and change clothes. Evening sightseeing. Shower and bed.

 

[Bodhisattva]

The food choices in Bangkok are endlessly awesome. From a single vendor selling charcoaled skewers of meat or dumplings to various open air or indoor food markets to mom-and-pop noodle shops to Michelin-rated restaurants with corresponding prices. You can get whatever you want at whatever price point you're feeling at the time.

On one afternoon, I wandered to the Ruam Sab Market - a covered market with fans but no air conditioning. If you live/work in the area, you either eat lunch at this sprawling market, or you order food delivered from here. Dozens of Grab motorcycles were queued up outside and hundreds of locals were lining up at the scores of food stalls when I arrived. I found what I was looking for and ordered the national dish of Thailand. It's not pad thai; it's pad kra pao.






The pad kra pao lady!



I love Thai food, and this is now my favorite Thai dish. Minced pork (or any other meat) stir fried with holy basil, numerous spices and chilis, and topped with a fried egg. I walked a mile in Bangkok in July to eat in a crowded warehouse without air conditioning to try this dish ... and I'd do it again. 😋

 

[oskie]

...
After about four hours in the heat and (especially) the humidity, I needed to shower and change before going out in the afternoon. That became my tourist routine. Get out of the hotel as the sun is rising for some morning sightseeing. Shower and change clothes. Afternoon sightseeing. Shower and change clothes. Evening sightseeing. Shower and bed.

Don't know what the weather was like while you were there, but it looks like the daily forecast was a "strong chance of showers".
.

 

[GCtidefan]

We want to help people rise to their level of talent and work ethic. In this way, after a little help, they can support themselves and make their community better. We have the means to help, so we feel this is something we have to do.

Kingdom work. God bless you Bodhi.

 

[jabcmb]

The food choices in Bangkok are endlessly awesome. From a single vendor selling charcoaled skewers of meat or dumplings to various open air or indoor food markets to mom-and-pop noodle shops to Michelin-rated restaurants with corresponding prices. You can get whatever you want at whatever price point you're feeling at the time.

On one afternoon, I wandered to the Ruam Sab Market - a covered market with fans but no air conditioning. If you live/work in the area, you either eat lunch at this sprawling market, or you order food delivered from here. Dozens of Grab motorcycles were queued up outside and hundreds of locals were lining up at the scores of food stalls when I arrived. I found what I was looking for and ordered the national dish of Thailand. It's not pad thai; it's pad kra pao.

View attachment 52454


View attachment 52455

The pad kra pao lady!

View attachment 52456

I love Thai food, and this is now my favorite Thai dish. Minced pork (or any other meat) stir fried with holy basil, numerous spices and chilis, and topped with a fried egg. I walked a mile in Bangkok in July to eat in a crowded warehouse without air conditioning to try this dish ... and I'd do it again. 😋

View attachment 52457

G, but hold the egg for me.
You referenced the heat earlier, 2-3 showers a day is certainly necessary (and most Thais do, too); unless you’re squatting in the jungle and then you don’t worry about it.

 

[Bodhisattva]

Ubiquitous street food ...

 

[Bodhisattva]

Spent a half-day wandering around the Talat Noi neighborhood, an area as old as Bangkok itself with block after block graffiti art. The neighborhood is bordered by the Chao Phraya River and Chinatown. It's a nice walking tour.






The interpretation:



The inspiration:



Optimus Prime:

 

[Bodhisattva]

More from Talat Noi ...







Chao Phraya River:



Stopped at this little restaurant to try some kuaitao khua kai for lunch. It's a Chinese/Thai dish of stir-fried rice noodles and chicken.



This cool mural is actually in the neighboring Chinatown neighborhood:

 

[Bodhisattva]

Dang onions!

The wrap up video that Chris put together dropped earlier this morning. It took him longer than planned to edit scores of hours of video down to 20 minutes. God bless these kids! Seeing the kids and other people that I met at this event has brought back a lot of emotions. I'm already arranging to do this again next year.

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world."

 

[Bodhisattva]

Slid over to my bank during lunch and wired money for a 4-year scholarship for a kid for next year. I won't know who I will be sponsoring for several months. Only a handful of kids get sponsored, so they have to be the best of the best when it comes to their grades and interview performance. One girl that I've specifically asked about came to my attention in one of Chris's videos from two years ago. She will be done with high school next Spring. I've asked to sponsor her if she makes it. Her story, like all the stories, is heartbreaking. I hope she clears all the hurdles, so I can put a scholarship in her hands next summer. She appears around the 3:00 mark in the video.

Lan and I have all but finalized a Vietnam and Thailand trip in February. We'll start in Vietnam, where it will be just before the Tet holiday. For years Lan has been sending money back to her friend, who puts together enough food packages to feed hundreds of poor and disabled people for a month. With this trip, we will be able to help with the distribution for food, supplies, and cash.

In Thailand, I'm planning to meet with the people who run the charity, some of the other donors who live there, and the kids we provided scholarships to this summer. I want to see how Som is doing in nursing school, how she is adjusting to life in big-city Bangkok, and give her a little more cash to get her through the rest of the school year comfortably. I'll check in on her again when I go (hopefully) to next year's scholarship ceremony in July.