SF4 - Morning Walks

My alarm is still set to wake me at 6 am as per my normal working life, .. yesterday I told myself that I was going to turn it off for this week, but I forgot. So for the third day, I have been doing a pre-breakfast 6.30 am walk. Considering that iv been getting back from the SF jaunts about 2 am most nights I will need to make time for sleep... (maybe I can add the missed hours up and hibernate for 2 days when I get back to the UK ) hmm.

So I got my togs on, splashed water on my face and out I went.

I walked along the river, the sun was just coming up as was the heat level.

The hotel complex is quite large - all around the complex area are street traders selling everything from spicy breakfast curry dishes to underwear, ... (no correlation intended between these two items). clothes shops and coffee and noodle shops.

hotel main tower

street-level all around the hotel, daily delivery of fruit to be chopped and bagged for people on the go.

I stopped by this trader as id not had breakfast I was getting a bit peckish, .. the bunch of bananas looked a bit much for me, .. not sure ill finish them even though they are a little bigger than a builders thumb. I asked if I could take half the bunch but he said no, ... the bunch was 50baht which is a little over £1. so I took the bunch about 20 mini bananas.

I get the feeling that Bangkok is a place of contrasts, .. for all the renowned nightlife downtown that iv heard about (ahem), there is also quite a religious element here too, .. situated at the back of the hotel at the entrance to another street of market traders and food is this little temple - people walk past and break off temporarily from what they are doing or talking about to raise their hands in a short prayer before quickly scuttling off.

I also noticed the monks in their orange one-piece, they are up quite early too and you don't tend to see them later on in the day, but quite a few around in the morning. They carry pots with them and people put either food or money in there and maybe get a little prayer from them. I saw a lady put some money in and then prostrate in front of one of them while he said some stuff, I'm guessing it was a prayer, it lasted less than a minute and I didn't feel right take a photo while it was going on, but managed to snap one after.

I was going to put some money in the pot too and see if he could do a little prayer on me but once he finished he took off quite quickly, they are quite nimble and I noticed he wasn't wearing anything on his feet so maybe the asphalte can get quite hot, ... ill pick my opportunity tomorrow if I get up in time and try my opportunity tomorrow.

more great food being prepared - the smells are fantastic and you get hungry even if your not.

Enough walking for today - I think the hotel breakfast buffet will be open by now so heading back.
I noticed this cafe and remember reading that Jeff Bezos has been knocked off the top spot of the richest person in the world, I wonder if he's branching out into small coffee shops? ... enough pondering for today.

oh by the way, ... there are about 18 mini bananas sitting on my hotel room table, I think they will start changing colour soon, no way ill be able to finish them.