Church, the Mall and the Jim Thompson Home: Our Last Day in Bangkok

by Taylor
for Sunday, July 15th

Today is Sunday. Since it was Sunday we found a church to go to that was thirty minutes away. The church was obviously English speaking. The bishop was Scottish and he gave a really funny talk during church. Church was interesting because there were people from so many different countries there. 

On our way to church

After church we went into MBK mall.  Bangkok is known for its giant malls. We had to take two taxis and got separated at the beginning but then we ended up meeting in the food court. Only my dad's phone works here so my mom had to put in a fake passport number to log in to the wifi and email him.

Mall food courts are supposed to have some of the best food and food selection in town. This food court was a big cafeteria with every kind of food imaginable. (Not as unusual as China though-I think). We tried some new things but what we liked best was the mango sticky rice, the Chinese buns and of course the smoothies. Then we went souvenir shopping. I have a collection consisting of a bunch small souvenirs from all the countries or big places I have been to. I bought I blue flower-representing the flower market, a small version of the reclining buddha-from Wat Pho, and just a random buddha because it was included in the deal for the reclining one. 

at the MBK mall

eating at the food court

After the mall we went and saw the Jim Thompson home. He was an American Archeologist who fell in love with Thailand during World War 2. He built a beautiful traditional Thai home and decided to contribute the country by reviving the silk industry. His house was very neat but the tour was really hot because none of the house was air conditioned. No offense to Thailand but I just wonder why Jim Thompson wanted to move to Thailand in the 1940s when there was no air conditioning. Thailand is just far too hot to live in without air conditioning. After the home we went home and crashed. We learned lots of interesting things about Thai culture including that when people build a house they build a little spirit house to compensate the spirits that they drove off the land. Then they make offerings to the spirits every week so they will stay happy.  In 1967, Jim Thompson went for a walk in the Cameroon Highlands in Malaysia and disappeared. Nobody has ever found a clue to what happened to him. 

the Spirit house at the Jim Thompson house

We are all really tired and have to get up early tomorrow morning to go to Erawon National Park. It is a three-hour bus ride and we want to get there early while it is still not too hot out and before all the tour buses arrive.