The targets for the day were the signature temples: Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) and Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). Throw in the Grand Palace for good measure, because they're all pretty close to each other anyway. Auntie, the receptionist at our hostel, suggested that we hop on one of the boats that travel along the river in order to get to the temples, and that sounded like a top notch idea.
Unfortunately, Mike ate a piece of banana during breakfast, and his stomach didn't appreciate it. By the time we got off (at the wrong stop, thanks to our incredibly inaccurate map), Mike looked like he was about to hurl over the railing. I asked if he wanted to go back to the hostel, and he said yes, so once again, we parted ways.
I hopped on to the next boat going in my direction and stepped off at dock #8. In order to get to Wat Arun, you have to buy a ferry ticket to cross the river. It's a very quick ride and the ferries are constantly in and out, so there was no hassle at all.
To be honest, I didn't really know anything about the temple before going there, other than it looks pretty badass at sunrise. I was taken aback by its massive size when the ferry docked. The footsteps going up the mountain--I mean, temple--were so huge that I saw some adults and children alike climbing down backwards, one step at a time, while holding on to the railing for dear life. It reminded me of when little kids are first learning to go down stairs and they slide down on their bums. If you had tried that at Wat Arun, though, you would be sore for weeks--both from the fall from each step, and from the other tourists who would've beaten you senseless for holding up the line.
Just craning my neck and looking up at the line of people going up the temple was exhausting, so I decided to explore the base area first. It was cool to be able to recognize similarities between Beomeosa in Busan and the temples in Thailand. For example, these handsome fellows pictured below bear a striking resemblance to the guardians at Beomeosa. Arun also has an impressive 70 m pagoda. And of course there is the army of Buddha statues.
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| Looks like a Buddhist viking. |
Walking around the temple grounds, I couldn't help but feel like I was at an amusement park. There was a ticket booth, a market, a voice blaring indecipherable words over the speakers that pierced your ears no matter where you were, there were massive crowds, line-ups of people waiting their turn to take the same picture, food vendors, throngs of people ascending and descending the temple in single-file. The only thing that was missing was a dude in a giant Buddha costume for kids to take their pictures with.
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| Close enough. |
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| There was even a carnival game! Throw your coin into Buddha's bowl and you win a wish! |
And so, I took some time to myself and just sat on a bench to take in everything around me. Minus the endless crowd of people, it could be a tranquil little garden area. While I sat there, I struck up a conversation with this little guy. We talked football. He likes the Broncos' chances this year; thinks they're going all the way.
Once we said our goodbyes, I made my way up to the top of the temple, snapped some shots, climbed back down, got in line for the ferry ride back across the river, and basically walked across the street to Wat Pho.
Maaaaaan, that place was packed! The line got bottlenecked at the entrance because people had to take off their shoes and put them in a carrying bag that was offered at the door.
Once you swim across the ocean of people and wrap around Buddha's feet at the other end of the temple, you can make a small donation in order to receive some coins that you can then drop in various containers along the wall. I wasn't sure what the deal was, though, so I didn't bother. However I did enjoy how the clanging sound of the coins dropping rang through the towering hall.
I explored the outside area and then bounced off to the grandiose Grand Palace.
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| The little knots on the string represent well wishes for each of us in the New Year. |
Unfortunately, by the time I got to the Palace, they had already closed off the museums for the day, so I just got to tour the area and snap some purty shots before making my way back to the hostel to check on Mike.
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| Looks like a crappy job. |
When I got back, he was nowhere to be found, which thankfully meant he had recovered from whatever it was that was ailing him earlier. I got in touch with him and we agreed to meet at the station closest to the Red Light District.
Perhaps it was because it was a Monday, but the place definitely wasn't as raunchy and over the top as I had imagined. There were even parents there with their kids! (I suppose they were just there for the night markets, but still!) It could also be that we didn't go to the right Red Light District, as there are several throughout Bangkok.
Once again, we were content to just stroll up and down the street with a beer in hand. The simplest pleasures in life are often the best ones.
When we got to the end of the first road, we looked over to another road lit with enticing lights that drew our attention. Had we actually read the signs before stepping onto the road, though, we would've realized that this particular area of the district was for a particular--ahem--strictly male crowd. We got out of there post haste and grabbed another beer.
Did you know that ping pong is the most popular sport in Thailand. At least I think it is, because it seemed like we were offered a ping pong show every five steps!
And it was hilarious how every guy selling had the same printout of possible "shows" to catch. Just imagine trying to print and laminate that sucker at Staples. That'd be an awkward conversation.
At one point a guy offered to take us to "Super P***y" and so I inquired into the legitimacy of his establishment. "So are they really super?" I asked. "They're not alright, or good, or even great; they're super. You're sure of this? How do you qualify it as super? Can I get a refund if I'm not convinced that they are in fact super?" He had no idea what I was saying; he just nodded, smiled, and said yes as I walked off. The things that amuse me...
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