So far, this trip to Southeast Asia has been indescribable. I’ve tried my best to detail everything we’ve done these last 9 days. It has been quite the adventure!
We had just one more day in Thailand and wanted to cram in just a bit more stuff before heading to the airport in Bangkok for our flight home. With only a few hours remaining, we hit the streets to tour three of the major temples in the area.
These places are spectacular and give a great history of the people of Thailand. One particular Buddha we saw was 5.5 tons of solid gold. It had been incased in cement in the late 1800’s in order to protect it from being stolen to one of many battles with the Burmese army. In 1953, the cement cracked. When they removed the chunk to repair it, they realized there was a solid gold statue underneath. This temple was built to house that Buddha about 30 years ago.
After the big tour, it was time to grab something to eat. We decided to stroll through one of the markets to find some local food. Turns out, there was lots to choose from!
Since I had already tried crickets, grasshoppers, and water bugs, I decided on the grub worms. They were something new and different – just a taste though. I don’t think I could have made these little guys a full meal!
They taste a little like potato chips. It’s the after taste that comes back to get you! After we found some “real” food, we decided to check out one of the local gem shops to do a little window shopping. Wow, these places are amazing and I saw some incredible jewels including some beautiful yellow sapphires. In order to get in, we had to pass by the guard. In spite of the big gun, he was a nice enough guy.
At the end of the day, we had added more memories to a trip that was already more than full. We caught our flight to Bangkok, caught a taxi to the hotel, and re-packed our bags for the trip home. Needless to say, I was exhausted.
We would leave for the airport at 5am. And I would begin the 30 hour journey from Bangkok to Japan to Chicago to Roanoke. There’s no place like home – and I couldn’t wait to see Cindy!