rainy bangkok

today we went on a tour of bangkok..when we set it up they asked us what time we wanted to go...we said 10 am...so that's when we left..it was cloudy but ok at first...we went on a boat taxi...it was fun, we went up the canals and saw how the people live here...they call bangkok, the venice of the east...it's amazing...then we went to a huge pagoda temple..it is really beautiful...it was decorated in mosaics using broken pottery and china...just like we do at home, but this is 500 years old..the stairs on this temple were STEEP, like climbing a ladder! but a beautiful view.it was interesting because the temple and palace are holy, we needed to wear long pants, skirt and no sandals...of course everyone we saw was wearing sandals and shorts....when it started raining, my shoes were drenched! ..we then went over to the grand palace.this is where 'the king and i' took place....this is an amazing area..it has the palace, a temple, which is there big temple..she said it's like westminster abbey...alot of really beautiful buildings...our only problem, it started raining...a bit at first, then wow, a downpour...we were dripping...our guide said, why did you wait until 10? we should have gone at 8:30...oh well....but we saw the emerald budda...the temple...the palace...it was really beautiful...then we ran to the car...we drove to another temple and saw the reclining budda...i guess this is when budda was dying...anyway...it's huge! giant size...we then drove through the city..it's beautiful..but, when it rains! the streets were pretty flooded...we saw the budda village where they make alot of the buddas that they sell..one thing you see around town are transvestites... guess alot of them are guys, brought up as girls..it's sometimes hard to tell...tonight is our last night on our trip...we went across the river to a thai restaurant..they had thai food of course and then a show of the dances of thailand...very graceful people..their fingers bend like crazy...it was fun...it's like in the 'king and i' when they do their dancing...they did a bit of thai kick boxing..that's pretty crazy... this has been an amazing trip...we will have circled the globe when we get home...we've seen amazing scenery, people, places...it's been pretty unreal..i'm really lucky to have been able to do this...russ has been a great travel partner...he's easy going, just goes along with whatever...maybe except when there is too much shopping...he has been a great protector..saved me a couple of times from fast taxis, buses, whatever...it's been fun to have him...we had fun with kathy and steve...they are easy also...fun to be with...all in all it's been an amazing trip...