Art and performers at
Baan Silapin (above
and right)
recent history is
examined as well,
via displays on the
1932 coup that
ushered in Siam’s
constitutional
monarchy, and on
Thailand’s modern-
day relationship with
the West—and its impact on
politics, education, fashion and food.
My time at the museum reinforces
a few well-worn not ions about Thai
culture, but far more often reveals
a place that defies all preconceptions.
Challenged to look beyond the standard
attractions, I discover a multilayered
metropolis that stimulates all of my
senses: dizzying sounds of rumbling
traffic; musky scents wafting from
the city’s canals mingling with sweet
aromas of ripe fruit and flowering jas-
mine; and the skin-hugging humidity
and sweltering heat.
Bypassing Bangkok’s bustling street
traffic—and its elevated Skytrain mass
Building up along the Chao Phraya River
transit system, which encircles the city’s
historic heart—I take a scenic longtail
boat ride toward my next destination.
Known as the “Venice of Asia,” Bangkok
is bisected by the Chao Phraya River
and an attendant network of canals.
The city’s growth has necessitated the
infilling of many of these waterways (to
improve roads and drainage systems),
so the remaining canals are
no longer as busy.
My boat passes
a constellation of
dilapidated shacks
perched precar-
iously on stilts.
They’re still
in use, but are,
essentially, cul-
tural relics. It’s a
humbling glimpse
into an old way of life
that’s vastly different
than the soaring high rises
in the background.
At a charming cluster of teakwood
houses near Wat Kuhasawan, I find the
canal-side community of Baan Silapin
(Artist’s House). There’s an art gallery
plus several restaurants and shops. But
my attention is drawn to a sun-kissed
courtyard where intricately crafted
marionettes and masked dancers are
performing the Ramakien, Thailand’s
national epic, which was adapted
from the sacred Hindu text known as
Ramayana. Indian traders and scholars
brought the narrative to this region
several centuries ago, and since then
it has inspired all manner of Thai art. »
Battling Bots
Nowhere else in the
world will you find a spectacle like
Tokyo’s Robot Restaurant. Order
a drink and wait for laser fights
and dramatic battles during the
cabaret show of electronic sharks
and mechanical moths.
while you’re there:
tokyo
LiKe BANgKOK, OTher AsiAN
ciTies hAve MODerNizeD ON
The shOuLDers Of Their
ANcieNT ANcesTOrs.
iN JAPAN, hisTOry Lives
hArMONiOusLy wiTh
cuTTiNg-eDge TechNOLOgy
Rise Up
More than 634 metres high,
Tokyo SkyTree dominates the neon
cityscape. A radio and observation
tower, it’s also the second-tallest
structure in the world. But size isn’t
the only thing that matters: The
latticed facade houses state-of-
the-art earthquake safety technol-
ogy and multi-hued light shows.
inseRt Coins
Japan boasts the
highest concentration of vending
machines in the world—about one
for every 23 people. And you’ll find
more than Kit Kats and Dr. Pepper.
The automated vendors dole out
virtually any food imaginable, from
sushi to sake to fresh eggs, plus
items like neckties and umbrellas.
CAA MANITOBA
fAll 2017
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