Wyoming Breezes

Traditional Thai dancer Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 My tour group enjoyed an evening of authentic Thai food and entertainment when we were in Bangkok. I apologize that the photos are a bit fuzzy, but I wanted to share the exquisite traditional dress that the dancers wore - such vibrant colors. The fingertips that she is wearing are not clearly seen in this photo, but they looked like the ones that I found here . Traditional Thai dancer Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Traditional Thai dancers Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Earlier posts of Thailand can be seen here .

Bangkok paper Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 I cannot read a word in this paper, but I thought the written Thai language was beautiful and wanted to take a bit of it home with me. The paper was purchased from a street vendor next to a photography shop. I suppose the vendor wondered why a lady who did not speak Thai wanted a newspaper. For some reason, it is difficult for me to put this in the recycle bin. Bangkok paper Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Oddly, I did not purchase a Japanese newspaper, but I did purchase one in Taiwan.

Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 A floating mercantile stops for potential customers near Bangkok. Seeing the living conditions in the area around Bangkok made me appreciate my blessings even more.

Marble Temple detail Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Other Bangkok temple photos can be seen here .

Water Taxi on the Chao Phraya River Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Bangkok was a teeming city in 1979. Cars, taxis, and buses crowded the streets; boats, the Chao Phraya River . Much of the city's commerce was done on the river, but the river was also used for bathing and for laundry.

Superman on a theater marque Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 It was fun to see these advertisements for Superman. I wonder if the movie was dubbed in Thai or if it had sub-titles? Strangely, I didn't see any movies off base when I was overseas. Superman on a theater marque Bangkok, Thailand December 1979

Home on the Bangkok River Bangkok, Thailand December 1979

Laundry Day near Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 I loved gently gliding down the river and snapping photos of the surroundings. As you can see the water was smooth and slow moving. friendly children gliding down the river near Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 The river was so calm that it wasn't unusual to find children maneuvering boats to go on errands or to just have some fun. I loved this area of Thailand: gorgeous scenery and friendly people

Exterior Decoration Temple of the Golden Buddha Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Detail above the temple gate December 1979 Wat Traimit Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 The temple (Wat Traimit )  which houses the Golden Buddha has been rebuilt since the tour I took in 1979. The building then was somewhat nondescript, yet a bit ornate. As seen in  this photo , the new building is by far more elaborate. The solid gold Buddha can be seen in this post .

Bangkok, Thailand December 1979

Golden Buddha Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 The Golden Buddha is the world's largest solid gold buddha . It is nearly 10 foot tall and weighs over 5 ton. Click on the link for additional information about the buddha and its history. The buddha was beautiful; however, it saddened me to see the abject poverty immediately outside the door of the temple where this priceless object was housed. Golden Buddha

Bangkok, Thailand December 1979

Laundry day Bangkok, Thailand December 1979

Wat Pho Temple of the Reclining Buddha Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 It was extremely difficult to get a photo of the Reclining Buddha for two reasons: the statue was being refurbished and it was massive. The buddha is over 49 feet high and 141 feet long. Note the buddha's feet are barely visible on the far right of the torso photo.  The feet are over 9 feet high and over 14 feet long. Note the toes on the far left in the photo above.  Close up of the bottom of the Reclining Buddha's feet with an inlay of Mother of Pearl Information about the temple and a scaffold-free photo of the buddha can be seen here . 

kitchen in a Bangkok, Thailand home December 1979

Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Note the temple in the background with the river entrance covered in bright orange/gold cloth. This earlier post has more photos of the temple. While the river looks pretty in this photo, it was actually quite polluted.

Fast Food Restaurants  Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Our tour guide advised us not to purchase the local fare from the sidewalk vendors, mostly because the water supply in 1979 was not that clean. However, many locals were giving these two ladies a lot of business. I am sure that a pole was inserted in the loops at the top of the baskets so they could transport their baskets to and from home. These women and many others were selling food in front of the temple. I didn't see many men selling food on the streets.

monk school Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Last week's photo prompted some questions about the young monks, so I checked my travel journal to see if I had written anything about them. According to our group's tour guide in 1979, every Thai male was required to become a monk for three months. They were also required to serve in the military for three years. I don't know if these are still requirements.