Winter Holiday 5: Bangkok

So, plans changed suddenly and I found myself with several days to wander in a city I hadn't planned on seeing all too much. First and foremost, I found the Chinese food!
If I remember correctly from the Southeast Asia guidebook that Infectious Laughter loaned to me, roughly 10% of Thailand is ethnically Chinese. At any rate, there's a China Town in Bangkok, and that's where I focused most of my aimless meandering. Conveniently, China Town is near the major temples and the river.

Meandering in Bangkok is surprisingly easy. Loans from Japan enabled the city to build a very nice Metro line, and there are also a couple of lines of a "Skytrain", a raised rail system that provides a good view of the city as passengers go from place to place. There's also a river ferry that's really cheap.
The original dwellings in Bangkok were all around the river. Like Venice in Italy or Belén in Peru, the river was the main source of transportation and commerce. There's even a river marketplace.
Yeah, elephants are a pretty big deal here. Pink taxis too.
Well over 90% (95% I think) of the people in Thailand are Buddhist, and monks are given reverential treatment.
The gamer in me really liked this bus.
There were a few small cats at my hostel, and sometimes one of them exploited a hole in the screen on my window to pay me a visit. Somehow, I'm never quite alone when I travel on my own. There was a dog in Pompei (Spring Break 06) that not only followed me to the station as I was leaving but also sat next to me on the bench as I waited for my train.

Overall, Thailand was a good trip, but not so much because of anything particularly Thai. I didn't plan this trip (no personal attachment or deep interest) and things planned in it didn't even occur. Still, though, Wandering alone in Bangkok recharged me a bit. Sometimes I just need to take off on my own and wander. My next trip, however, is going to be a personal adventure.