Friday, October 27. The obligatory thing to do in Bangkok is to tour the Grand Palace. It was the usual hot and humid day, so it wasn’t the most comfortable morning. Crowds. A lot of guards to make sure no one violated the rules. It was all overwhelming. Because of a strict dress code (no shoulders, no knees, no tight pants), many people were wearing elephant pants bought or rented just outside the grounds. Most of the buildings were closed, so we only saw the exterior. The exception was the chapel with Thailand’s crown jewel, the Emerald Buddha. No shoes, no photos, no pointing your feet at the buddha. However, oddly, one can take photos through the doors and central opening. My camera worked nicely. The buddha is stunning, though relatively small (about 26 inches). The rest of the chapel is incredibly busy with art and statues.

The rest of the palace had lots to see. Thailand Buddhism seems fixated with Devils.

Lunch was at a fine restaurant. Lovely AC! Next was a theater show of traditional Thai dance and storytelling. Thailand’s unique tradition is the women’s ability to bend their fingers backwards. I cringed to see it. I also napped. It was a fine performance. Live music.

We all took tuk-tuks back to the hotel. Eight tuk-tuks was quite a promenade through the streets. During our two hour siesta I went to the gym. How I had the energy, I don’t know.

The evening was our welcome dinner, on an open boat. A nice, though the waters were very choppy. Dinner was excellent, as was the view.