Sunday in Bangkok Preview

Posted on October 8, 2023 by vanbraman

Today I visited the temple area in Bangkok. I will share a few pictures, and later expand on some of them in other posts.Bangkok, flower market, temples, big swing, reclining buddha

I took the metro from near the hotel to the Sanam Chai station. It was nearby the Flower Market so I took a walk through. I will share some pictures in a future post.‘

Bangkok, flower market, temples, big swing, reclining buddha

I then went and visited Wat Pho, which was an interesting temple complex.

Bangkok, flower market, temples, big swing, reclining buddha

The architecture was very interesting and I will share more in a future post.

Bangkok, flower market, temples, big swing, reclining buddha

I visited the big reclining Buddha. I saw this 20 years ago and it looks pretty much the same, but I could see some changes in the surrounding area. I will also share some more pictures of this huge Buddha statue.

Bangkok, flower market, temples, big swing, reclining buddha

I drove by this giant structure last time I was in Bangkok. This time I was walking and was able to take a few pictures of it. This was a giant swing that was used in some rituals.

It was quite different to take pictures on this trip to Bangkok. Twenty years ago I took pictures with a digital camera that saved the pictures on floppy disks. I will look and see if I can find some similar pictures taken on both trips and make a comparison post.

It has been a long day. It is hot and humid here in Bangkok. It was nice to find the Sam Yot metro station and make my way back to the hotel.

Steven

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Wheelchair Basketball World Championships

Posted on October 7, 2023 by vanbraman

While flying to Bangkok from Tokyo I was on the same flight as the USA Women’s U25 wheelchair basketball team.

wheelchair basketball, wheelchair, basketball, bangkok, World Championship, u25 Wheelchair

The flight was a bit delayed, but it was for a very good reason. They had to make sure they got all the wheelchairs on board and the athletes seated. I said hi to some of the basketball players and wished them good luck at the championships.

This morning I was trying to figure out what to do with the weekend and I checked to see how the US team was doing. They were supposed to be playing at a gym that was across the city, but I found out that because of some water damage they were playing at a closer place. I decided to explore part of the city and go see the team play in the quarter finals.

wheelchair basketball, wheelchair, basketball, bangkok, World Championship, u25 Wheelchair

When I got to the arena the previous game was almost over and the team was watching them play.

I found out where the USA spectators were going to sit and found a seat to watch the rest of the Germany/Spain game that was before.

wheelchair basketball, wheelchair, basketball, bangkok, World Championship, u25 Wheelchair

It was not a big crowd, mostly parents of some of the players, but we made a lot of noise.

I have watched wheelchair basketball before on TV, including some of these players, as I watched a lot of the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.wheelchair basketball, wheelchair, basketball, bangkok, World Championship, u25 Wheelchair

It was really different to see the game in person, and I am glad that I took the chance to come cheer for them.

wheelchair basketball, wheelchair, basketball, bangkok, World Championship, u25 Wheelchair

The USA won the game against Thailand, and I was able to see all the players play and contribute since it was not a close game.

One of the parents apologized that it was not an exciting close game, but I really enjoyed the game exactly like it was. At the end of the game all the lowest ability players for the USA were on the court at one time which was great for them.

It was a nice way to spend the day. A great experience watching the USA team win and a couple good long walks in the hot humid Bangkok weather.

I am glad that I shared the flight from Tokyo with the team as it triggered a great experience.

Steven

Sunday Update: The USA team won their semi-final match and will play for the championship on Monday.

Monday Update: The USA team won the final match against Great Britain this afternoon while I was teaching. I watched the game on YouTube later.

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