The Birth Of A Different Bao Bao

Mei Xiang nuzzles her newly born cub Bao Bao

Reader Dax recently sent an email, alerting me to a news item I'd missed. His message read in part "I wanted to wish you the very best of the holidays and congratulate you on the National Zoo's naming of their baby panda Bao Bao."

Bao Bao was born on August 23rd at the Smithsonian's National Zoo to Mei Xiang, brought here herself from China as part of a diplomatic program begun by Richard Nixon back in the early 1970s. Bao Bao is a female, and her name received the highest number of votes from the 120,000 members of the Friends of the National Zoo who participated in the selection process.

Evidently, in Chinese her name means "precious" or "treasure". I don't recall this blog ever being referred to in those terms - and I'd never claim it to be, naturally - but most regulars will remember that since Bao Bao means "gentle" or "easy" in Thai (or so I've long been told) so perhaps today's blip on the wide horizon of the internet would better fit into the same same, but different folder.

If you're dead set to have a Thailand tie-in for the post today I'll refer you to the Chiang Mai Zoo, where they've hosted pandas on loan from China and most likely have some there now. Check their web site for more information, as I've not been there yet - just the Dusit Zoo in Bangkok.

So, as the holidays are ramping up for me I'll close for today and get back to the exhaustive list of things demanding attention, but a special thanks to Dax for taking the time to alert me to the new namesake. Best wishes for the holidays to you, too.

Bao Bao, learning to walk and climb on 6 December

Pussy Sightings On Silom Soi 4, Bangkok

This cat had just lost a rat that had scurried under the walkway.

Anyone who knows me at all knows I'm a dog person, not a cat person. Kittens I can tolerate, but unfortunately they grow up to be cats, and there's honestly nothing about a cat's habits I find endearing in the slightest. 

Somewhat scrawny, this black pussy was napping on a chair

Nevertheless, someone asked me about cats in Thailand the other day, and asked if I'd post some pictures of them if I had any.  Now, normally, while I'd slow my car down to avoid hitting one I wouldn't stop to take pictures of them, but this was a different situation.

Peeking out from beneath a motocy

One afternoon while walking down to take photos of the setting up of the Patpong Night Market (you can see two different posts about that transformation and the guys doing it by clicking on the links here) I stopped and walked a ways down Silom Soi 4, home to some restaurants I like and a variety of clubs and other shops. I wasn't 15 feet down the dead-end soi when I saw the first clump of cats, and there were lots of them; more than I saw the rest of my trip.

Quietly singing an impromptu version of an old nursery rhyme to myself along the lines of "Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been?", "I've been to Soi 4 to visit the queens," "Pussycat, pussycat, what did you there?", "I frightened some foot-long rats under the stairs!" I did take some pictures as the cats lounged around and looked for food.

So... while odds are you won't see many more pictures of cats on the blog here, here are a few.  

Perhaps waiting for Sphinx to open?

Night Visitors: Tokay Geckos

That's Tokay, not Takei - but they DO sound much alike. You Trekkies out there will get that one.

Yesterday a reader left a comment on the My Night At Hat Nang Ram post from a couple of years ago.  In it they identified the welcoming committee that was waiting for me on the ceiling above my bed: a Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko), with the "tok" pronounced like the word tuck. The specimen that greeted me was well over eight inches (21cm) long, and they can grow twice that size, I'm told.


Those of you in the United States are probably better acquainted with the spokesgecko for an insurance company with an impressive advertising budget, but many I've encountered in Thailand haven't been quite so cute, such as the one above, which is capable of a bit of a bite.


The one below was minding its own business in a cave outside of Udonthani when I hit it with my flash, although it didn't flinch at the time.  I did, shortly thereafter, when it ran up my arm as I tried to pet it. My friend was highly amused, for some perverse reason... go figure!

In a cave near Udonthani

More often than not the geckos you'd be likely to come in contact with in the tropics are of the common, benign, insect eating variety seen below . They're nocturnal, and while they may look odd they're going to run away if you get close enough to prove to be any kind of threat, and remember that they eat bugs, not people.

The most common nocturnal gecko - this one in Chiang Mai

There was a juvenile version of the creature above in the kitchen of my condo in Hawaii last visit, and although I carefully caught him and put him out onto the lanai/balcony the stubborn little guy was back inside in the same spot a few hours later.  If they bother you, try to look at it like the Hawaiians do: they're good luck to have in your house, despite the poppy seed sized droppings they tend to leave behind.

Howling At The Moon - I Mean BELL

To my way of thinking, the biggest problem with most any organized religion is the organization itself. Anything that gives an individual comfort and peace of mind is fine with me, but when a group begins proselytizing, I cringe... sometimes noticeably.

Therefore, I gave the Catholic church in Chanthaburi a wide berth, to the surprise of my Thai friend. We were on our way for a wander through the old part of the town and walked near the place on our way. Even knowing I'm not a participant in any Christian religion he thought I'd want to see the stained glass windows that he said were very nice. I may have missed out on an opportunity, but I passed on the offer.

We spoke briefly about it, sharing our views on one religion coming in and trying to take over an area where they didn't really need to be, and were agreeing on most points as the bell began to ring in the bell tower, announcing the mid-day services or whatever. I was just saying "Well, I don't care for it," when a dog along the way looked up at the church and started to howl.

"Maybe he's Buddhist," my friend offered, and we laughed.

"Dog Days" Come Early, And For More Dogs Than Usual

The sun poking through the haze above Nonthaburi signals the start of another hot day.

While the hottest days of July and August are normally referred to as "the dog days of Summer" in the U.S. I couldn't help but think perhaps they'd been on holiday in Thailand the past few weeks, as it was the most hot and humid February I've ever experienced there.  I mean HOT; the kind of heat that makes any level spot with a modicum of shade look like a good place to just lie down and rest as the dry dust raised by traffic and the odd breeze leaves you with a fine patina of grey.

When the window of your hotel room at 06:30 is still warm to the touch from the heat of the previous night and now warming further by the orange orb of sun cutting through the dense, damp layer of haze to the East you can figure it's going to be a day best spent somewhere where the aircon is functioning properly, or at least in the shade by the poolside with a book, watching the pool boy attempt to keep ice in your glass - a fool's errand at best when even the breeze is languid and hot... when the air moves at all.

Still, some of us (I admit, sheepishly raising my hand) can't seem to stay put while on holiday and somewhat foolishly give in to the compulsion to venture out into the heat in an effort to get the most out of a vacation that already passes far too quickly.  One example of that was a visit to Rama II park last July, and though I know we've already covered the folly of being out in the mid-day heat before this story has a slightly different slant to it I thought worth sharing.

A neglected dog who'd taken a daily post near my hotel

There was a comment left on the March 12th post asking if I'd seen residual evidence of the flooding in Thailand, and while I actually didn't see much more than piles of sandbags still held in reserve there did seem to be far more "stray" dogs than usual.  When I asked my friend about this he said that when the waters came through many dogs had been separated from their owners.

Most of us have heard "Incredible Journey"-type stories of pets traveling great distances to be reunited with their human(s), but according to my friend the sheer numbers of animals and the sometimes great distances they'd been carried by the flooding meant that many were still on their own.  He'd read in the papers and heard on the news how there were tens of thousands left high and dry in more ways than one when the waters receded.

One of the challenges was not the fact that they'd been physically moved themselves by the water - or whatever they'd managed to hitch a ride on as it floated by - but that they'd lost their "trail"; the scent you see dogs sniffing along at as they make their rounds in their usual areas.  Now that those markings had been washed away they were unable to follow them, making things difficult for even some not all that far from home.

During my days in Nonthaburi, an area only partially flooded, there were lots more dogs wandering aimlessly around than I'm used to seeing in, say, Bangkok; unkempt, thin, dirty and struggling in the heat.  Many could be seen on their sides in the shade of shrubbery in vacant lots, their chests heaving as their tongues stuck out in an attempt to cool themselves off, looking up at you as you walked by but some without the energy to even lift their heads to question your motives or bark to protect their turf.

I'm not a cat person. Kittens are tolerable but unfortunately they grow up and become cats, so I don't invest any more time than necessary with either of them than I'm socially obligated to to humor friends who for some reason think that being owned by an animal indifferent to their existence is worthwhile.

Dogs, however, are a completely different story, so when I see a dog in distress I tend to make an effort to respond to the situation.  In the case of these lost and somewhat bewildered creatures in Nonthaburi I came up with an admittedly impractical temporary stop-gap measure of helping, but perhaps it's still going on there today.  I'd like to think so.

BigC Nonthaburi

While standing on the elevated walkway over the highway near my hotel one morning, taking photos of workers loaded in the back of open trucks (you'll see those images another day soon) I noticed one of the stray dogs nosing around in a small pile of refuse, looking for food or water.  Seeing I was just a football field from one of those enormous Big C monstrosities I got an idea and headed down the stairs and inside.

There I purchased two dozen small plastic bowls - about 10 inches across and around three inches deep, sort of like you'd see in a traditional hong nam - and two large (4 liter) jugs of water. Leaving the store I back-tracked along my route to my hotel, past construction folks working on a new BTS station and lots of open area where the dogs were scattered around, trying to stay cool.

Keeping what I thought was a safe distance I'd approach one dog after another, set down a bowl and half-fill it with water.  With only two exceptions the animals immediately got to their feet, came to the bowls and went about emptying them, lapping their chops.  One dog barked a warning so I left their bowl further away, but when I looked back they'd come to drink, too.  One was either too weak or ill to rouse himself, and I hope he got to it later.

Using my pocket knife I cut the bottom off of a bottle and left a little more for a dog I'd noticed tied to a motor scooter alongside a stairway that was there in the same spot all day every day I was staying there in Nonthaburi.  You can see him in the photo up above. Evidently he had an owner, but he was still happy to see the water each day I passed by and he became my favored animal, which got him the occasional snack.

Kindness can be catchy, if you know what I mean.  While walking to the 7-Eleven for more water on my last morning there I noticed there was already water in some of the bowls, and some dry dog food next to a few others.  That made my day.

Walking The Crocodile Farm In Samut Prakarn

There are plenty of things to see and do in addition to the crocodile show at the Samut Prakarn (also spelled Prakan) Crocodile Farm and Zoo just on the outskirts of Bangkok - more than a mixed group or family could really do in a day, and there's something for those of all ages. While I've seen small children at the crocodile shows I know they're not for everybody, but there are plenty of other options.

Dinosaur statues in one area - there are more than just these two

In addition to the crocodile wrestling shows there's an elephant show going on every 60 minutes, also, featuring a few pachyderms going through the routines you'd see at most any elephant show: playing soccer, twirling a hoop and similar tricks that's definitely appropriate for all ages. There's also a fairly good sized playground, an informative museum, the paddle boats to ride around on and a train you can ride all around the park.

I havent got photos of the limited zoo area, but there are a dozen or so types of animals in pens around the perimeter.

You can eat in several different spots, from walk-away snacks to sit down meals, and since this is a hatchery and farm, there are many many places to shop for crocodile goods ranging from simple trinkets and souvenirs to pricey accessory items.

As you'd also see at many theme parks there are photo opportunities galore, from silly to daring - such as crouching down next to one of the larger show crocodiles out on the "show" island, or beside a large tiger. Granted, these particular specimens may well be slightly sedated for safety's sake (at least, that's what I told myself when I put myself withing striking range) but still...

Pose next to this fine specimen for a photo, ready to pick up in a few minutes

The biggest draw, though, are the crocodiles themselves, and as was mentioned in the introductory post about the place they claim to have 100,000 of them. Many of the pens are open and allow you to get as close to them as anyone needs to be. There are a few examples below.

"Dog pile," crocodile style

Here's one I bet you didn't know: crocodiles hold their mouths open to regulate their temperature.

The line from the movie "Forrest Gump" was "Stupid is as stupid does," and evidently there are stupid people all around the globe, as illustrated by the multi-language signs around the park's enclosures:

I put two photos together to show "before" and "after" when raw chicken is dropped from the elevated walkways

Battling for the snacks - taken from the elevated walkway

That's about all I have for you on the place this round. If there's interest I'll run another set of photos from some other shows I've attended there sometime in the future. I hope some day you can visit there yourself.

Samut Prakarn's Crocodile Farm, Part 1

A crocodile smiles a welcome at the farm in Samut Prakarn

The Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo just outside of downtown Bangkok claims to be the largest in Thailand, and that's probably true.  It's without a doubt the largest I've seen or heard of, and even if it isn't the largest farm it's home to the largest crocodile in captivity, Yai (meaning large); born at the farm in 1972, a couple of years after it opened.  If you want to drop him a card his birthday's June 10.

Nearly 20 feet long and weighing in at 2,465 pounds (or 1118Kg) he is one big reptile, even being awarded his own listing in the Guinness Book of World Records.  The photo below is one by the Farm, as both times I've seen him he's been mostly submerged and I haven't gotten a clear shot of him myself.

Nearly 20 feet Yai is indeed a large beast

Yai is just one of 100,000 crocodiles the farm claims to have on its 300 acres of grounds, in addition to a wide variety of other flora and fauna. I didn't attempt an inventory, but there were crocs of every size, color and variety; enough for the most rabid fan.

Youngprapakorn

For those who prefer their reptiles ready to wear there are plenty of shops and places to buy belts, bags, purses, briefcases and other items made from the  specimens raised on the farm, both for their skins and for the edible meat.

The farm was opened in 1970, the brainchild of Utai Youngprapakorn. His original intent was much as it still is today: preserve the many varieties of crocodiles from extinction and provide a source of skins for the fashion industry in an effort to curb poaching in the wild.  It's probably been a beneficial arrangement for all but those who've been harvested for shoes and the likes.

In addition to the reptile menagerie you'll also find areas for elephants, monkeys, birds, camels, lions, tigers and bears (oh my!) around the grounds, with an elephant show in its own small stadium.  It was here on my first visit to the Land of Smiles that I found myself atop an elephant for the first time and crouched tentatively next to a tiger and a crocodile to have my photo taken.  The tiger was somewhat sedated, but the crocodile was a meter longer than I am tall, and freshly hauled out of the water around the small "stage" island that a few of us were led out onto to pay Bt100 for the privilege of risking being bitten.  Crocodiles have a total of 65 teeth - 35 on top, 30 on the bottom - and a vice-like grip once their jaws clamp down and that made me think twice, but I did it anyway.

There's a train to take you around the park, if you want, or you can hire a horse-drawn carriage to take you and a friend around.  Paddle your way around on a small foot-powered pedal boat across a large pond (without crocodiles in it, naturally) or just wander the grounds on foot - there are plenty of places to stop and rest, and the grounds are nicely landscaped; planted to provide shade on the paths.

One small section of a series of elevated walkways above the large crocodile ponds

Presentations and shows happen on the hour (for elephants) or half hour (for the crocodile wrestling) throughout the day from 09:00 to 17:00, and there are other demonstrations and things going on, too.  You can purchase raw chicken to drop from the elevated walkways into the snapping jaws of crocodiles who whip their bodies and tails around, knocking each other around in a frenzy to get at said tidbits.

Crocodiles fighting over chicken dropped from the walkway above

Albino and differently colored specimens are on view in many spots, some communally and some in solitary enclosures.  I suggested to my Thai friend that maybe these isolated ones didn't play well with others, and looked at me wide-eyed and said "I wouldn't want to play with any of them!"

Rather than make the post too long again I'll split this into two or three parts. In the next post I'll share more images of the crocodiles themselves and maybe some of the elephants.  I'm adding a couple of images (below) from their hand-out for those of you who want to read their translations to Chinese and French, and a map giving a rough idea of where it is.  More on that next time, too.

http://www.worldcrocodile.com/home.html

The Dusit Zoo - Bangkok

A white tiger in the Dusit Zoo, Bangkok

Located in the Dusit neighborhood of Bangkok, a little ways behind Parliment House you'll find Khao Din Park, home of the most popular zoo in Thailand - the Dusit Zoo.  The name Parliment House may sound familiar to some of you who followed the social unrest a year or so ago as a number of large public demonstrations were held in the large open area in front of it.

The Dusit Zoo is part of the Royal Zoological Park Organization, which also maintains zoos in Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nongkla in addition to the Khao Khiao "open" zoo. Having not been to any of the others so far my guess is that the Dusit is the most popular because of it's easy access to so many people. As of now the zoo's been open for 65 years.

The grounds cover around 47 acres (118 rai), and there's a lot to see.  There's a tram train that'll ride you around the place for an overall view, or you can pick up a map when you buy your entrance ticket.  Fees for the Thai are 50Bt for adults and 10Bt for kids. As is often the case farang pay a little more than that: 100Bt for adults, 50Bt for kids.

The organization estimates an average of 2.5 million visitors come to the zoo each year to see over 1,500 animals, birds and reptiles.

A map showing features of the zoo

There are the normal souvenir shops, restaurants, exhibits and informational displays - even a 7-Eleven, should memory serve.  There are demonstrations and shows and plenty of places to sit, rest and people-watch.  Naturally there are all manner of school field trips going on during the months when the weather's likely to cooperate and schools are open.

While my friend and I were strolling around one time three school girls came up to me and asked if they could interview me. [As an aside for those of you who haven't been places where students are often learning English any time you're around students in Thailand you're likely to have them come up and ask to speak with you. It's nice to be of help, and frankly sometimes it's more attention than I get back home some days!]  They asked me about a dozen questions - why am I in Thailand, what kind of work do I do, what did I like best about the zoo - and one videotaped me and the girl with the microphone, while a third girl took notes on a clipboard.

The zoo is open from 08:00 to 18:00, and can be reached by BTS, taxi, or bus. I've gone the entire way by taxi once, but usually I'll take the BTS to the Victory Monument stop (noted in blue on the map below) where it's easy to catch a taxi to take me the rest of the way. If you want to try the taxi route you can print the Thai map at the end of today's post that's gotten me there once.

Once I went by bus with someone who knew the routes. If you can find your way that way you can take bus 18, 28 or 108, or 528, 515, 539 or 542 if you want one with air-con.

Somewhere I have more photos of the place, but maybe not. If I find them I'll do another post.

Elephants In The City - A Bad Idea

A forest creature, looking out of place on the streets of Bangkok

My first thought when seeing an elephant on the streets of Bangkok was "oh, how delightful!" - but as rational thoughts took over it was clear that the only chang that belonged in the Big Mango was the brand of beer served nearly everywhere (I've never tried it, but I'm told it's an acceptable brew).

Chang (elephants) are in a completely different category than dogs or cats, and the idea of such a strong - albeit generally gentle and passive - animal being herded around on city sidewalks and streets just isn't right.  I'd preface that last bit by adding "in my opinion," but it's the overall opinion, for a variety of reasons.

There are risks and dangers to having a wild animal such as this in a restricted area by virtue of their size and lack of agility alone; and add to that the unpredictability of trucks, autos, motor scooters, carts and bicycles and the possibility of startling or scaring a mammal that large and you can understand my point.  

The weight of an Asian elephant can be in the range of 6,600 - 11,000 pounds, or 3,000 - 5,000 kilograms, and while I'm merely a tiny fraction of that I have my own challenges negotiating my way around traffic in Thailand; those of you who have tried to navigate an intersection there know what I mean.  The joke I'd heard went something like this: Q: What do you call a person who gets across the intersection without being hurt or killed? A: The winner!

If you've done much research on tourist sites you may well have already heard this, but I'm repeating it as a public service for our large grey hairy friends in Thailand - and I don't mean the old farang along the beaches there - and the advice is this: don't encourage the mahouts (handlers) who try to get you to buy small bundles of bananas or sugar cane to feed the elephants when you see them on the street.  They'll also want a "donation" to take a photo with the animals, and I hope you'll resist that, too.

Granted, animals can adjust to their surroundings to a certain extent, but for an elephant who has been used to living in the jungle or forest the experience of being in such a noisy, polluted place must be much more than stressful. Their padded feet aren't designed to be walking on unforgiving cement and asphalt, either, and they're prone to foot injury.

The age-old practice of elephants being used as beasts of burden for logging and other heavy work is nowhere near as prevalent as it once was throughout the kingdom, but many of those animals are now in dozens of encampments throughout the kingdom where you can visit them, see them do demonstrations and even ride on them.  I'll agree that keeping them in a resort atmosphere leaves potential for abuse, but the idea here today is about chang in the city, so save your time: I agree it would be better if they were able to live freely in the wild.

We'll talk more about trained elephants another day. Here are two of the three city photos I have of these magnificent beasts. This last one was taken while I was sitting at a table next to the window and looked up to see a trunk tapping the glass with a thud.

Let's Talk Dirty To The Animals

Across the narrow country road from Wat Bang Kung is and area targeting those who come to visit the temple. To hold interest there's a micro-zoo with five or six different types of animals, a place to buy snacks and sodas, a stand selling chilled coconut milk and an area out back above the bank of the river where you can watch people feed the fish.

For a few baht you can buy a plastic bag of fish pellets and feed them yourself. The bag is tightly sealed with a rubber band, although I'd already opened mine before taking the picture to the left. The fish know where the food is, and they drift around the area just below the water, waiting for someone to toss in some pellets, and then there's a feeding frenzy.

Kids (and some older kids) buy bundles of greens to feed the caged animals who will eat them, like the pigs, rabbits, a couple of monkeys. There were also some birds, the grandest being the peacock up top today. I'd never gotten a photo of one that was quite so full and majestic looking as this one, and as they're a novelty for this old bird I stood and watched it for a while.

While walking by the monkey cage I happened to bang my forehead on a bar sticking out from the structure. Nothing all that surprising about that in and of itself; I'm taller than most Thai, and the height of potentially dangerous things isn't usually measured in my favor. What was surprising was that it hurt enough that I let loose with one of my more colorful expressions I save for just such unpleasant surprises as this - and the monkey sitting near eye level with me looked up as he was chewing and gave me a look as if to say "Really! Can't you behave with a little more decorum in my presence?"

With the small lump on my forehead beginning to rise I thought for a moment about cursing at him directly, and was suddenly reminded of an old routine Gilda Radner did as the opener for her Broadway show back some 30 years ago, and instead began to sing the song in my head. I felt a lot better afterwards. The clip is below, but as I try to keep the blog suitable for most I should warn you that there are a few really rough words in it and it's NOT for kids...

Caution: this clip is not for those with innocent ears.

The song continued to run through my head as I walked around and looked at the rest of the pens and cages, watching the kids feeding the animals.

The temple, the warriors, the kids, the animals - it was a nice few hours. Make the stop if you're in the area.  By the way - while the peacock is most impressive from the front, it's far less interesting when it's walking away from you...

Lumphini Park: Bangkok's Emerald Oasis

Panorama view of the lake shore in Lumphini Park

I don't know what Rama IV Road looked like back when King Rama IV gave his subjects a large plot of royal land beside it in the early 1920s, but it's a safe bet it wasn't the 10-lane asphalt madhouse it is today. That plot of land is now Lumphini (also spelled Lumpini) Park, a large public area - over 140 acres, or 360 Thai rai - and an unexpected jewel smack dab in the middle of some of the most crowded and frantic areas of downtown.

A view of Lumphini Park I haven't had the pleasure of seeing myself - yet

Originally called Lumbini - after the birthplace of the Buddha in Nepal - it used to sit on the outskirts of Bangkok, but it now sits in the middle of the city, completely engulfed by buildings, making it even more of a precious place for the residents of the Big Mango. Natives and visitors alike make consistent use of the 2.5KM/1.5 miles of paths, water features and lawn area and one of the first (if not the first) public library in the city.

In addition to that the park is also home to an indoor stadium, a performance hall, a youth center, an elder center, Lumphini School, at least six different pavilions and summer evening concerts by the Bangkok Symphony. Despite the number of features mentioned here (and that's not all of them) it's actually a very open and airy park, nowhere near as packed looking as it sounds. As you can see in the top image today it's primarily green area, and it's truly a delight - on foot along the paths or in a paddle boat around the waterways.

The sattelite photo above gives you an idea of the size of the place. On the left is Ratchadamri (also spelled Rajadamri) Road, to the right is Wireless Road, across the top is Sarasin Road and, again, Rama IV is across the bottom of the image. In the lower left hand (Southwest) corner you can make out the statue and white stone monument to Rama the 4th himself, built in 1941.

Getting to the park is easy; seeing everything there is to see there is a little more of a challenge. There are MRT subway stations right at both Rama IV park entrances. If you get off at the Lumphini station use Exit 3 (Wireless Road), and if you get off at the Silom station use Exit 1 (Lumphini Park/Chulalongkhorn Hospital) to be on the correct side of Rama IV road. The Sala Daeng BTS skytrain station is a transfer point for the MRT line, so if you're on the BTS, exit there and follow the signs. If you'd prefer a taxi I'd be surprised if you could find a driver that didn't know where it was - almost certainly none in any area where a you'd be likely to be staying as a tourist.

It's not something you can really appreciate in a single visit, though; it's a pleasure easily (and probably better) spread out over a couple of times or trips.

Mornings, late afternoons and evenings are the prime visiting hours, although there's a lot to be said for a lazy afternoon in the shade while napping on the acres of lawn, too. I'd suggest mosquito repellent during the dawn and dusk hours, as these are the times you're more likely to be bitten, but that's up to you. Personally I tend to get bitten a lot, so I take precautions. Locals are more likely to be there during these prime hours, too, but that's not surprising when you remember that this is a park of the people, and people tend to have daytime obligations. My favorite times to stroll around are when it's less hot, too.

An afternoon aerobics group, being led from the stage up front

There are fitness and aerobics sessions in several different spots, both mornings and afternoons. Sometimes they're very loosely organized pick-up groups, led only by the music from a boom box, but most are larger groups; gathered before an elevated stage of some sort, with amplified music and a leader to coach the participants on while they work up a sweat.

Joggers of all ages and conditions make it easy for anyone to fit in

Walkers and joggers such as the ones above are most common along the paths, and because of that bicycles are limited to using them between 5:00am and 3:00pm. Dogs are not welcome, and smoking is also not allowed anywhere within the park boundaries. While that eliminates the unpleasantness of "doggy chocolates" and second-hand smoke, there are the water monitor lizards you're likely to see during the sunnier hours. They're unlikely to be aggressive but you're wise not to hand-feed one of them, unless you intend to feed them your hand. Adults tend to be about a 3 feet/ one meter long, as you can see in this clip I found on YouTube:

The person filming the clip does a little quick pan around, and when they do you can see the paddle boats that you can rent by the hour. I haven't tried that yet so I'm sorry I can't advise on what it costs, but my guess is that it's very cheap.

Paddle boats lined up along the shore near sunset in Lumphini Park

Slightly out of the ordinary was the man in the picture below; the first little person I've met thus far in Thailand. Not that there was anything odd about him - he was quite pleasant - but it occurred to me afterwards that I'd not seen another dwarf or midget in all my travels there. He was anxious to get moving again after stopping to return my greeting so I didn't get more than the one blurry photo.

As it was dark by the time I'd sat and people watched from a bench while I rested a little I needed a flash to take this last photo of two guys I walked past on my way out. They'd been practicing football moves and were a little sweaty, but one was able to speak some English and was keen to talk about the group he plays with.

Finishing up our chat I took a stroll over into the Patpong area and found dinner before heading back to my room for the night. A relaxing meal after a tranquil late afternoon stroll is a superb way to cap off your time in Lumphini Park, and something I'd recommend to anyone.