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Published: December 29th 2011
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We flew into Bangkok today from Chiang Mai, met up with our Guide, Jay, and headed out for a half day of exploring Bangkok City. Our first stop was a quick lunch of local noodles. We both got a bowl of noodles and shared a soda for $3 USD or 100 Baht. Crazy cheap but so good.
We walked across the street to the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The Grand Palace complex was established in 1782 and it consists of not only the royal residence and throne halls, but also a number of government offices as well as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The Grand Palace was built after King Rama I ascended to the throne and was built with both European and Thai architectural styles.
When found in a Chiang Rai Stupa in 1434, the Emerald Buddha was thought to be a common Buddha. Later, the abbot who had found the Buddha noticed that the plaster was flaking off of its nose revealing the green stone underneath. The abbot initially thought that the stone was emerald and thus the legend of the Emerald Buddha began. Once all of
the plaster was removed it was determined to be carved from a single piece of jade. Three times a year, the King comes to change the costume of the Buddha. It is currently dressed for winter. The Prince has taken over this job since the King is now 84.
Next we took a cruise down the Chao Phraya River. We saw some of the areas that had recently suffered flooding and toured the 3
rd Capital of Siam (Thailand) complex. The capital was eventually moved from this location because it was too close to the river making it vulnerable to attack. The current capital is the 5
th one.
We checked into our hotel and after a little rest, we headed out to the Hard Rock Café for some American food. We do love Thai food but a break was well needed.
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