Today, we were dropped off across from the Golden Palace
in a sea of tourists doing exactly what we were...with our guide Vee leading
the charge we weaved in and out of the crowds to make our way into the Golden
Palace as soon as the doors opened and before the masses....success! The Golden
Palace and all its buildings are brilliantly colored, gilded and decorated with
intricate details...the main temple building in the palace complex is the Wat
Pra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha one of the most revered objects in
Thailand...17 inches in height this Buddha is carved from a solid piece of
Jade. We left the palace grounds and walked to the Chang Pier to take a long
boat cruise through the Thonburi Klong (canals) and the Chao Phraya
River...among the best ways to see Bangkok is by boat...you get a serene view
of the river-view dwellers revealing scenes at odds with the bustling modern
city...this view has earned a Bangkok the title of Venice of the East. We
stopped at the Wat Arun or Temple of Dawn, one of the most attractive temples
in Bangkok, I was very disappointed they have stopped visitors from climbing
the steps for a wonderful view over the river. Next we took a ferry across the
Chao Phraya to meet our driver. We decided to eat lunch early to avoid the
crowds....another great Thai lunch in a restaurant directly across the street from
Wat Po....Wat Po known as the Temple of the largest Reclining Buddha and the
city’s largest and oldest temple. Next, we made our way to the Wat Traimit or
the Golden Buddha, a striking 5 ton figure of solid gold. We made our way to
Wat Suthat with the Giant Swing outside...onto the Wat Sakai Golden Mount,
climbing 344 steps to the top for nice views of the city and to the final
temple of the day, Wat Benchamabophit, a modern temple constructed of white
Carrara marble. Our driver stopped at Patpong Market for us...checked out a few
stores...too early in the day for shopping and the entertainment. We certainly
covered a lot of territory today in the Bangkok heat and humidity but we
enjoyed every moment...we had another great Thai dinner.
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