Wat Pho - Bangkok

April 2014

Sawadee from Bangkok!

Hordes of tourists are attracted to Wat Pho in Bangkok every day - and it's easy to see why. This Buddhist temple in Bangkok is the home of a 160-foot long reclining Buddha, and it's also the birthplace of traditional Thai massage. While the reclining Buddha is quite impressive, I was almost more intrigued by the rest of the ornate architecture and design embedded into beautiful Buddhist relics, gardens, halls and shrines within Wat Pho's tall walls. We spent hours wandering this place and the buildings literally sparkled from the suns reflection (see photos below). We had lunch at the nearby market and opted to do this site instead of the (more expensive) Grand Palace which is a few blocks away. For what it's worth, a friend who did both sites in one day said that he liked Wat Pho better because you could actually explore/go inside all the areas in the complex.

Wikipedia does a great job of summarizing this place and all of the symbolism and history behind the little details around the grounds - such as the 14 Chinese statues guarding entryways. Wish I had read that before going, ha.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Pho

 

 

Golden Mount Palace - Bangkok

April 2014

Golden Mount Palace ("Wat Saket") sits atop a man-made hill in Bangkok. 300 steps lead up to a spectacular viewpoint. Wat Saket houses an impressive golden buddha relic and is an annual sacred pilgrimage site in November. A local recommended a stop here on the way to Wat Pho and I was glad we did. Just be ready to sweat buckets going up those stairs in Thailands humidity!

Do's and Donts 

Do:

-ring the bells all the way up the stairs!

-stop and pay respect on the rooftop

-explore the beautiful grounds

Don't:

-listen to the nearby tuk tuk drivers who insist that it is closed for the day (ie- "why dont you let me show you the highlight of Bangkok instead") 

-need special attire or privilege to enter (entrance fee is a mere 20 baht per person- less than one USD)

Layover in Bangkok?

April 2014

Bangkok was a 3 day stop on my way home (originally supposed to be a few weeks in Thailand... long story short, I opted to surf a little longer in Indonesia instead). I wasn't honestly that excited about the stop because 1) I was still recovering from the rabies vaccine side effects (see last post), 2) Bangkok had some violence and riots in the prior several months and 3) I'm not a huge city person.

That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this gigantic city and managed to fit a good "taste" in. 

My highlights of Bangkok: (in no particular order)

1) Chatuchak Sunday market. One of the largest markets in the world. 5,000+ stalls and amazing bargains. I got lost in here (semi-intentionally) for a full day!

2) Thai food on the street. Big steaming plate of pad thai for 30 baht (about a buck!)

3) A quick stroll down Khao San Road at night - probably my least favorite activity, mainly just a bunch of tourists partying, but I did watch a bunch of friends eat scorpions and cockroaches from street vendors.

4) Exploring the "Venice of the East" via river boat taxis. Much more enjoyable than the tuk tuks!

5) Golden mount - Wat Saket. (pictures coming in next blog post..)

6) Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho. (pictures coming in next blog post..)

7) Massage. Hour foot massage for 4 dollars? Yes please!

8) A "track workout" at some random University. I was training for a marathon and there was a plaza that was about 400m around. I got up at the crack of dawn to run there - in order to beat the heat, and the traffic. The local men had the same idea and their wives/girlfriends would sit in the middle and watch us all run laps. And shout "go girl" and "good job" every time I ran by. Ha.

I stayed at Bodega Bangkok, a sweet little spot run by three brothers that turned out to be a great place to make friends to explore the city with!

So if you're planning a trip here, before you run off to Chiang Mai or the islands/beaches, consider spending a few days in Thailands capital.