3 Days in Bangkok
(Disclaimer: This will be a quick post because I’m writing from a remote island and internet is, expectedly, minimal. I feel terrible about it, I really do.)
So Bangkok.. Well, my impressions are definitely skewed by the fact that I just came from India, and the contrasts are amazing. Bangkok is a very modern city, sparkling clean, efficient transit system, and helpful tourist information, it’s great.
The first day I was there I went to the big Weekend Market, which claims to be the biggest open-air market in the world. It’s certianly big, and you can buy virtually anything there, like clothes, or furniture, or antiques..
or puppies,
or squid.
I also visited some temples in the city, where I saw the largest solid gold Buddha, weighing 5.5 tons, worth around $10 million, and very, very shiny. It was originally encased in plaster to avert theives, but the plan worked too well and for years nobody knew what was hidden underneath until a piece accidentally chipped off. (Unfortunately this led to a craze of other Buddha-bashing)
The Erawan Shrine is interesting because it’s on a corner right in the middle of the city, and tons of people visit to make offerings of flowers and incense. Add music and dancers, and it’s definitely a sensory overload.
Saw a couple more Buddhas: the Reclining Buddha, who is 150 feet long, and housed in a building not much bigger, so all you can do is take extreme closeups of the smiling giant as he achieves Nirvana (not the band. I don’t think).
I visited the Emerald Buddha (can you guess what it’s made of?) at the Grand Palace, but no photos allowed. And mostly just wandered around the palace checking out temples and statues and stuff.
I’d like to call this the Rebel Buddha:
Big scary guard guy
Me with a much less scary guy
From Bangkok I headed south to hit the beach. More coming soon, stay tuned!
Tags: bangkok, buddha, Thailand, Travel
WheresMegan
Wahoo! Update!
Sounds like Thailand is a bit more relaxing then India, which is good. I can’t wait to hear more about it.
I’ve always heard that Bangkok was a great place to visit, now I can see why. I like all the Buddhas… it’s interesting to see the various incarnations. The Thai like the skinny versions.
We are in puppy heaven, with the new Great Dane. We named her Sagan (billions and billions of little doggie piles). By the time you get back she’ll have tripled in size! She’s only 7lbs right now.
Thanks for all the cultural lessons.
Love your new boyfriend………..
Buddas, Buddas everywhere!!! Did you find your enlightened sprit while you were hanging out with the Buddas? I’m glad to see you in a cleaner city- I didn’t realize Bankok was that modernized. Jen & I are headed to Hot Springs for Jason’s wedding on Sunday- should be interesting!
Have fun hanging out with the fishes!!!! You should buy a disposable underwater camera -so we can see what you are seeing.
Love, MOM
Excellent! Thanks for update, Megan!!
“One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster.
The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free.
You’ll find a god in every golden cloister.
And if you’re lucky then the god’s a she.
I can feel an angel sliding up to me.”
Okay, somebody had to start singing that, so it may as well be me. Thanks for the update! I’m glad you’re still alive and well:)
While I do agree with Jami’s sentiment, I think the title of Megan’s entry was purposefully close to the song in order to get the joke out of the way, so others wouldn’t have to say it. :)nrnrLove you Meg.
Well I, for one, appreciate Jami’s contribution, because I honestly never knew the rest of the words.
So there.
Love you Kyle 🙂
The “much less scary guy” looks like a feudal, Thai Rod the Bod.
And he’s definitely making time.
Yes! I knew he looked familiar!
Finally, you are in a place that I have been to! I took that same picture of the Emerald Buddha…we will have to compare photos to see if we were standing in the same place!
Wendy,
I assume you meant the Reclining Buddha, because no photos are allowed of the Emerald Buddha, unless you broke the rules. You probably even pointed your feet towards him too, didn’t you? Shame, shame.. no nirvana for you!