After settling in I headed out to see the temples of Bangkok. This city is full of contradictions. There are road everywhere, going in every imaginable direction. On top of that you have elevated highways and a sky-train. In the midst of it all you can find some canals which used to be the main transportation means in the city. There are people everywhere, and lots of smells and noises.
And then you go into a temple (Wat).
Here everything is quiet, and the outside mayhem is all but forgotten.
If I could just get rid of those pesky tourists… The settings are amazing; it looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Gleaming spires and golden statues are everywhere and unlike the Christian equivalents it feels respectful, rather than awe-inspiring.
The one thing I did notice is the inexplicable lack of benches! The place is steaming hot (90% humidity when I was there) and there aren’t enough places to sit down. Usually I’d just sit my behind on the floor but in a temple it didn’t quite feel right.
At this specific temple (Wat Poh) they have a huge (and I mean huge) Buddha – it’s like 30 meters long. But for me, that wasn’t the interesting part. At the back I found a little school. I just happened to be there when there was a Thai boxing lesson.
After a long (and hot!) day I went back to the hotel. I was relaxing on the sofa when the sky behind me erupted with fireworks. I could see the launch boat just beneath me in the river and the fireworks were exploding right out my window… I couldn’t make up my mind – get the camera or stay and watch – oh, what a dilemma!
There’s more to tell here but I still haven’t developed the photos, so you’ll just have to wait.
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