Leaving Thailand

After leaving Chiang Mai, I had a few days in Bangkok finishing off at the hospital and sorting out a dental emergency (cracked tooth - all sorted). Monsoon rains started in earnest while I was there and everything had to be done between downpours. Bangkok is amazingly efficient and as soon as it started to rain water sweepers would appear with great big wipers guiding the rainwater into drains.

It was good to catch up on sleep and communication after the radio silence of the retreat. I felt grateful for all the small freedoms and choices we normally take for granted but I hadn’t had while I was on retreat. Just a coffee (or two), or choice of what to eat (overwhelming in Bangkok). I missed the quiet however, and Bangkok is sensory overload for most people, but felt quite brutal after my time at Doi Suthep.

I’m not a check things off a list type of tourist, but I did want to see the Reclining Buddha before I left Bangkok. The whole Wat Pho temple complex is amazing and it was a relief to find the hoards of tourists were elsewhere.

The Reclining Buddha is just amazing. I do wish the temple were a little bigger, he feels a bit squeezed in.

As I left Bangkok for the airport, I thought about my impressions. I certainly didn’t love it although appreciated how efficient it is. The hospital / medical process really was phenomenal and I would recommend it to anyone. Traffic is awful, and everyone seems keenly focused on making money. That may sound obvious, but for some reason, Bangkok, with all its temples and history, seems to be run on avarice.

I was quite happy to fly out of Thailand - I’ve had a fantastic time - but am ready for new adventures in Indonesia..