So my dear friends Stacey and David just visited -- they were here June 26 to July 3. I've just returned from an extended vacation and am going through the pics . . . I'll put them up bit by bit!DAY ONE: OLD BANGKOK (KO RATANAKOSIN)
Bangkok has been the capital since 1782, the beginning of the Chakri Dynasty (the "Rama" Kings). The name of the city in Thai is "Grung Thep" which means "City of Angels." The full name of the city is actually 103 words long and is immortalized in a pop song that is oft sung in bars -- sometimes you get a free drink if you can sing the whole thing! (I can't).
GRAND PALACE AND TEMPLE OF THE EMERALD BUDDHA (WAT PHRA KEAW)
The word for Wat Phra Keaw is definitely "bling." Yes, that's real gold! They replace the gold tiles and the gold laced paint every couple of years. This Wat was consecrated in 1782 by Rama I as the personal temple of the royal family.
A yaksha guards the door and scares away the evil spirits.
Monks and hill tribe women in traditional dress pay their respects. Nationalists and devout Buddhists make a pilgrimage to this wat from everywhere in Thailand.
An angel in the City of Angels . . .
Detail from the temple walls:
We were meant to live like this!
The Grand Palace of the Chakri Dynasty, was inhabited by every King except the current one (Rama IX). On the first day of his reign 60 years ago, he opened the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keaw to the people and took up residence in the "suburbs" north of Bangkok.
WAT ARUN - THE TEMPLE OF DAWNAfter the sacking of Ayuthaya (Thailand's second capital) by the Burmese, the King moved the capital to Thonburi (directly across the river from from the Grand Palace) for a few years. His palace and the home of the Emerald Buddha were here in Wat Arun. Nice, eh?
WAT PHOThe stupas here commemorate the first three Chakri Kings (Rama III has two). This Wat, next to the Grand Palace, was the country's first center for public education and has Thailand's largest collection of Buddha images. It also has a massage school, where we got a fabulous massage. Ah!
Wat Pho is home of Thailand's largest reclining Buddha. He is 46m long and 15m high! Reclining Buddhas depict Buddha's death and final passage into Nirvana.
SANAM LUANG: THE ROYAL FIELDWe were walking innocently over to see if anything was happening . . . and ran into a Red Shirt protest! Needless to say, we hopped in a cab and got the heck out of there.
Even the dogs are wearing Red Shirts . . .
THE PINK PANTHER GOGO BARWe almost didn't get out of the house that night, due to a heavy rain that flooded out most of Soi 4. Fortunately, a taxi appeared to take us to the BTS! We headed down to Pat Pong to check out The Pink Panther, which looks like a normal gogo bar until 11 PM . . .
At which time they pull out all the dancing tables and poles and set up a Muay Thai Boxing ring!
Me, the winner, and the loser. I think the one on the right is the winner.
Well that's quite enough for one day! Signing off for now.
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