Ancient Siam

Sorry it's been so long since the last blog post, I enjoyed Phuket too much to blog and decided to just have some R&R... and then it was time for the dreaded seemingly 2-day travel trek home to Hawaii... but I'm back!

In Bangkok, we had the opportunity to visit The Ancient City - or Ancient Siam, as it is now called.  From my understanding, it is a re-creation of how life (history, culture, religion, art, and customs) of the Thai people used to be in the ancient days.  It is a park (more like a giant outdoor museum) that covers over 200 acres of land and is formed in the shape of Thailand.  

I have not gotten to study the map we received at the park in great detail yet... So, again, I'm going to let my pictures do most of my talking.  I will say this, it was a very interesting and peaceful place, and I really enjoyed the visit.  One of my highlights of Bangkok.  Although, it felt like it was about 120° F, so my mom and aunts mostly stayed in the air-conditioned car for the three hours we were there... My job was, "Meredith - go out there and tell us what we saw, and take pictures!!" 

The gate near the beginning

View of a typical street - lined with shops

Opium Den -- I was very enamored with this place... HAHAHAHA!

A form of chess?

View of the floating market

Detail shot of the wood carvings

Stretched squid - apparently Andrew Zimmerman (of Bizarre Foods) 

LOVES this, and as such James was very excited to try it...

The dried squid hangs there until you order one, then the woman grills it to make it hot, and then finally stretches (and therefore softens) it back and forth in a very old looking machine.

It tasted like cuttlefish, but fishier and more flavorful! 

Hello! ;)

According to Wikipedia (so take this with a grain of salt - LOL!), the park/city "features 116 structures of Thailand's famous monuments and architectural attractions. The grounds of Ancient Siam correspond roughly to the shape of the Kingdom, with each of the monuments lying at their correct places geographically. Some of the buildings are life-size replicas of existing or former sites, while others are scaled down."

Truly an amazing place to visit.  Coming up on the blog: Phuket and the Phi Phi Islands!

- Meredith ♡
["Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken." – Frank Herbert]