On our first day in Bangkok, we wanted to go see three of the most famous temples. Because it would have taken a long time to drive, we were told it is faster to take a boat up the river that goes between the different temples and the Grand Palace. First, we went to Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) and got to look around for a little bit. Even though there was scaffolding on some parts of it, the temple was very beautiful and was completely covered in mosaics.
Next, we took the boat to the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace is made up of many different buildings, some of which are temples. We were able to go inside Wat Phra Kaew, where the Emerald Buddha is, but we could not take pictures while inside. The outside of all of the buildings in the Grand Palace, but especially this temple were very beautiful. They were ornately decorated with lots of gold and colorful tiles.
The Grand Palace was very crowded, not only because it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bangkok, but because many Thai people were coming to mourn the death of the king who died in October. There were hundreds of people dressed all in black who were coming into the Grand Palace to pay their respects. Throughout Thailand we could see how much loyalty and respect the Thai people have for their king. There were pictures of the king and prince in every hotel and in front of almost every building.
After leaving the Grand Palace we walked a couple of blocks to Wat Pho, another temple that houses the Reclining Buddha.
As a side note, make sure to check back at the post called “The Wedding.” I just posted a link to the wedding video which is really well done.
Hammond Adventures 