Bangkok, Thailand - Wat Pho

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Wat Pho, also known as the "Temple of the Reclining Buddha," was built 200 years before Bangkok became the capital of Thailand. It is the the largest and oldest temple in Bangkok. Wars having taken their toll, restoration on the temple began in 1788 and continued into the mid 1800's. The temple was restored again in 1982.

Each Wat seems to have its own special attraction and Wat Pho is no exception. This Wat is best known for its beautiful statue of the "Reclining Buddha." The statue, 46 meters (151') long and 15 meters (49') high, has a core of wood gilded in gold. The feet and eyes are engraved with mother-of-pearl. The feet are 3 meters long with inscriptions that show the 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha.

Wat Pho was Thailand's first University. It is the center for Thai massage but DS and I opted for one later.

Bangkok, Thailand - Wat Arun

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When, having fallen to the Burmese, Ayutthaya was reduced to rubble and ashes, General Taksin and the remaining survivors vowed to march "until the sun rose again", and there to build a temple. Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn, stands on the spot to which they came and where later the new king built his royal palace and with it a private chapel.

Wat Arun is a Khmer-style Buddhist Temple on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. It was quite visible from our day of touring on the taxi/ tour boat, but appeared quite bland and ordinary from a distance compared with the gilded temples we were visiting. Still, its reputation preceded it and we took a taxi-boat across the river to explore. We were not disappointed.

The impressive central prang, a Khmer-style pagoda, is 79 meters (259 feet) tall. It symbolizes Mount Meru, which is considered the center of the universe. The smaller prangs at the four corners are dedicated to Phra Phai, the wind god. What appeared to be bland and boring from a distance, was entrancing on closer inspection. One reference says: "Since the ground beneath it was so swampy, thousands of bamboo stems were laid across one another and the spaces created by this lattice were filled with clay. In this way, a foundation capable of bearing a sufficient weight was created." The decorations on the prangs were seashells and bits of porcelain used to make patterns in the gray plaster that covered a brick core. The porcelain had reportedly been used as ballast by boats plying their trade from China to Bangkok. Charming sculptures of what I have seen variously described as demons, guardians, and soldiers, appear to balance the prangs, while sculptures of Chinese soldiers and animals decorate the base.

DS and I climbed the steep steps for the views available from the two terraces.

Although Wat Arun means Temple of the Dawn, it is said to catch the best light at sunset. We managed to sandwich our exploration of the temple and the grounds between two heavy downpours. No chance of any sun that day.

Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahawihan

Wat Arun - Temple of the Dawn - Bangkok, Thailand

The first class royal temple that was built in the Ayutthaya period, was first called Wat Makok, then changed to Wat Makok Nok because there was another new temple in the area called Wat Makok Nai (Wat Nualnoradit). In a later period, King Taksin the Great formed the troop via the river from Ayutthaya and reached the temple in the early dawn. The sight inspired him to renovate the place and change the name to Wat Chaeng, meaning the temple of dawn. Thonburi was the capital in 1768. The king built the new palace that surrounded the temple, Wat Chaeng was the temple in the palace that without the monks resided. The royal temple of Thonburi was the holding place for the Emerald Buddha and Phra Bang, the Buddha images, which were brought in from Vientiane in the reign of King Rama I. When the capital and royal palace were moved from Thonburi to Bangko, the wall of Thonburi Palace was destroyed. When Wat Chaeng was no longer the temple in the palace, the monks were allowed to reside there. The renovation of the palace continued until the reign of King Rama II who changed the temple's name to Wat Arun Ratchatharam. It was renovated again during the time of King Rama IV. Once again the King changed its name to Wat Arun Ratchawararam.

Thailand - A Day Along the River

DS and I got an early start so we could see as much as possible on my first day in Thailand. He had had already been there for a week, which was mostly spent in Phuket...on the beach and shopping. We bought a tourist ticket for the boat that runs up and down the canal. We could get on and off at any stop, all day long. A great way to see the sights along the waterway and stay out of the town traffic.

In town, it really seemed that everyone was a small business owner. Mini-restaurants and tiny shops lined every street and alley way, spilling over onto the sidewalks and stopping just short of the curbs. Pedestrians are obliged to step into the street at frequent intervals and just take it in stride.The sights along the canal were a curious mix of new, old, and ancient. Modern buildings vied with apparent dwellings that would ordinarily be condemned in many other places. The people all seem happy, energetic, and ready to work.

The canal water is a murky, green color which appears to double as a giant trash receptacle. It could have been worse so there must be people designated to clean it at intervals. They certainly retrieved anything of value, including aluminum cans and plastic bottles, which could be turned into cash. People took every opportunity to drop a line in the water and must have been successful, although we never saw anyone carrying fresh fish. I sincerely doubt it was "catch and release", but I would have a hard time eating anything caught there.

We saw one group of three men and one woman, working on refurbishing a portion of wall near the edge of the river and pier. The woman was bent over, diligently spreading the concrete with a trowel, while the men were roaming around the area. One man was fishing, one was having a bite to eat, another was sitting listening to music. They jumped up every once in a while - one to sprinkle sand over the newly place concrete, and the others to oversee the project. We did not hear any complaining.

The river functions well in its roles as provider and transportation.