Stories from Bangkok (part 2)

Royal Palace - Thailand

 Day two of our trip found us refreshed and ready to explore. We woke up around 6:30am local time and enjoyed an amazing breakfast of banana pancakes with honey and a fresh banana shake. If you haven't been to Thailand or had genuine Thai banana pancakes, then add it to your bucket list or come over to our house. I'm determined to perfect the recipe!

After breakfast, we took a walk around the river towards the Royal Palace. Thailand is a constitutional monarchy - so they have a king and queen with a prime minister and parliament. The King and Queen's pictures are everywhere in Thailand, every building, restaurant, house, and flag! The palace is vast with different kings adding different architecture throughout time. 

Royal Palace - Thailand

 As we were entering the palace, we were accosted by a man telling us we had to rent clothes before we entered. We were a bit startled, but also on our guard. Many tourists were walking into the entrance that the man said was for Thai's only. We sidestepped the man and entered the palace. We had to rent clothing - no shorts or sleeveless tops on palace grounds. Walking around the palace was really interesting and had us entranced with not only the beautiful buildings, but also the beautiful people who wave lotus flowers towards the Emerald Buddha.

Amazing pot - Royal Palace - Thailand

After trapezing around the gardens, we took a cruise down the river and into the canals. Filled with cokes that the ladies in small boats on the river sold us - cokes in bottles and not cans - we journeyed down the canals learning about how people in the Venice of Asia live. If you live on the water, then you have a boat and not a car. If you live on the outer canals, you've probably never seen the inner city of Bangkok. It's a waterworld or a land of bumper-to-bumper traffic.
We were also given a tour of Thailand's famous fruits. Our rice barge had a fruit buffet that included dragon fruit - a bright pink fruit that is white with black speckled seeds inside. Looks amazing and exotic, tastes eh.
Our souvenirs for the day included: a sarong, a coconut, a papered umbrella, a map, and a bracelet from the hubby. We were a little extreme for the first day, but we really enjoyed each other. The day included a lot of smiling. After all Thai people love to smile.
We feasted on more curry, pad Thai, spring rolls and shakes. Oh man oh man, we love Thailand.

Each day we read a Psalm. I can't remember which Psalms we read, but I want to incorporate some of our favorites here:

^"1 Praise the LORD, my soul;
   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the LORD, my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
 ⁶ The LORD works righteousness
   and justice for all the oppressed.
 ⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
   his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
   slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
   nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
   or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
   so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
   so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
 ¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
   so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
   he remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵ The life of mortals is like grass,
   they flourish like a flower of the field;
¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone,
   and its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
   the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
   and his righteousness with their children’s children—
¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant
   and remember to obey his precepts.
 ¹⁹ The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
   and his kingdom rules over all.
 ²⁰ Praise the LORD, you his angels,
   you mighty ones who do his bidding,
   who obey his word.
²¹ Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
   you his servants who do his will.
²² Praise the LORD, all his works
   everywhere in his dominion.
   Praise the LORD, my soul."  Psalm 103

Blessings,

D&A