We got on the plane wearing several layers because of the cold weather in Chengdu and got off the plane in Bangkok to 91 degrees and humid. It’s crazy how different the weather can be within a two hour plane ride. The heat felt amazing after 30 days of cold. We didn’t realize how much the cold weather starts to get to you after a while. In China everything is cold; most restaurants do not have heat, many of the tourist attractions are outside and it takes a very long time to warm up your hotel room with a wall heater. So, needless to say we enjoyed the warmth, even taking a dip in the hotel pool.
Since we arrived on the weekend we decided to take the
sky train to the end of the line (Mo Chit). A very short walk south from the station is the Chatuchak Weekend Market. The market is huge covering an area of 32 acres with more than 15,000 stalls. Vendors are selling everything from clothes, plants, electronics, ceramics, furniture, dried snacks and of course, fresh food/snacks. Robert absolutely had to have one of their specialties – a mango smoothie.
The market is open on Saturday and Sunday only from 9:00am – 4:00pm. We spent about 4 hours walking all around the market. During our day at the market we did stop for a 30 minute foot massage. There are places all over the market that offers massages. It’s very cheap (around $5.00) for 30 minutes. Many locals and tourists were taking a break to enjoy a massage in the air conditioning.
I’m happy to say that after a full day of rest by the pool, playing cards and some competitive billiards, we are both feeling much better.
On our last day in Bangkok we set out to explore the area along the river. The metro and sky train do not run along the river but there are two different options of boats that can be taken to piers up and down the river. Tickets for a single ride is 50 THB. The orange line or the Chao Phraya Express Boat are both at the
pier just off the sky train. The Chao Phraya Express Boat offers a unlimited one day pass for 180 THB (approx. $6.00). We opted for the day pass and set out down the river to the pier at Pak Klong Taladd. From there we made a 1/2 mile walk to Wat Pho. The complex contains the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.
The temple was amazing, so foreign from what have seen anywhere else in the world. The construction of the current Wat Pho complex was started in 1782 by King Rama I. It is home to more than 1,000 Buddha statues. We wandered through the complex taking in all the spires, Buddha statues and temples. Each building and spire is comprised of thousands of colored ceramic pieces. The array of colors added a beauty to the buildings. We had a chance to go inside of the temples. Before entering the we were required to remove our shoes. We were happy to do so out of respect for their custom.
The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is in the back of the complex. It was easy to find as that is where the most people were gathered. The Buddha is huge measuring 46 meters long and is completely covered in gold leaf. There are pillars holding the temple up every 3 meters so it is not possible to get a picture on the Reclining Buddha in one shot.
After our visit to Wat Pho we walked north for about a 1/2 mile and then to the west another half mile where we reached the entrance to the Grand Palace. The lines were very long and we still wanted to visit another temple so we chose not to go inside. Hopefully we will have a chance to visit on our next trip to Bangkok.
We got on the boat a took it to the pier at War Arun. It is also known as the Temple of Dawn. Although the original date of construction is not known, Wat Arun started to appear on maps of Bangkok in the mid-1600s. The temple is much smaller than Wat Pho just across the river. However, it is quite beautiful and definitely worth a visit.
Robert had a very special moment in one of the temples at Wat Arun. There was a monk offering blessings to visitors. The blessing is done by sprinkling water over the head, chanting and tying a white string on the wrist. Robert was one of the few who received a personal blessing which is meant to give him good luck and happiness.
We ended our day on a high note and took the boat back to the sky train and then to our hotel. Our short time in Bangkok was definitely not enough time to see everything. It is a gateway city to the rest of Southeast Asia and we know we will be back. For now we are off to see the majestic temples of Myanmar.