Who Put the Bang in Bangkok?

Bangkok, Thailand

April 28, 2008

Who put the bang in Bangkok?

Not the “entertainers” in Patpong, certainly. I even skipped that entirely. I turned in early instead for a day of temple-hopping. And was I glad I did!

To be honest, I initially had qualms about seeing another Buddha. I had been to Wuxi, China where a colossal Grand Buddha stands at about 90 meters tall. It was fairly remote for any other Buddha to top that.

But the Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho had me at the first sight of his massive head.

The Look of Nirvana: The Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho

Stupendous Stupa

Bangkok, Thailand

April 28, 2008

Some look like they’re flipping the bird. Others are like bells with their pointy handles jutting out. Some are dome-shaped, others are cylindrical and needle-like. Some are merely a few meters taller than you, others are towering landmarks in the city. All ornate in colorful designs yet with a common distinct architecture. And I have not seen so many of them in my life, except in Bangkok.

Welcome to Stupa Land: Wat Pho, Bangkok

They are all called stupa, aka chedi or chorten. Stupa comes from Sanskrit, meaning “tuft”. The stupa is part of a wat, a basic Buddhist structure that enshrines relics of Buddha or ashes of enlightened teachers, as well as revered rulers. It is said that the essence of enlightenment emanates from the remains of the sages it contains.

A River of Religions

Bangkok, Thailand

April 28, 2008

A trip to Bangkok would not be complete without taking to a river. Bangkok is, after all, the “Venice of the east.” Due to limited time, I reluctantly skipped the Floating Market in Ratchaburi. But I took time for Chao Phraya River, the aorta at the heart of Bangkok.

Wat Arun Panorama

Thai Me Up, Thai Me Down

Bangkok, Thailand

April 26 – 29, 2008

Portrait of King Bhumibol

After about 12 hours on the road (from Siem Reap, Cambodia) and a serious case of backpacking burn-out, we finally arrived at our last stop, Bangkok. Sawasdee! Road-weary, sleep deprived, and with Cambodian dust press-powdered on our faces, we just hoped for some downtime from roughing it out for almost a week in two countries. Thailand did cut us some slack, but our short stay had its ups and downs.