Bangkok, Day 2

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I was concerned about getting into the Grand Palace and was not sure if the clothes I had were appropriate enough. I put on the one pair of travel pants I had and we went in search of a shirt. I ended up buying a yellow polo shirt with the seal of the king on it. There is significance there.

(It is a favorite color of the king. Most people in Thailand wear yellow on Mondays in honor of the king. I don’t know the reason right now but will fill in.)

After buying the shirt, we took a longtail boat up the river to do our sightseeing. A longtail is a long wooden fishing boat that has a car engine attached to a long pole. The propeller is on the end of the pole. It is how they maneuver the boat. Very interesting.

We worked our way to the Grand Palace and the Royal Monastery of the Emerald Buddha. The first part of the palace is a temple area where there is a large temple that houses a small jade Buddha. It was found in 1434 in the city of Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand and is the most sacred and revered image of Buddha in Thailand. Rama I had this temple built for the Emerald Buddha beginning in 1782 when he established Bangkok. The Emerald Buddha was placed in the temple in 1784. It only stands 66cm tall. It has gold clothes that are changed with the seasons - summer, rainy, and winter. A ceremony is held three times a year to change the costumes.

The Grand Palace was built by Rama I next to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It is not used as a residence for the current king, but still has government offices and is used for official state dinners and ceremonies. I thought the Royal Monastery was more impressive. You cannot go into the Grand Palace, only walk around the grounds and look in the windows on the ground floor. There is a military museum on the ground floor that shows the history of weapons used in Thailand. I would not want to be on the pointy end of any of the spears or swords.

After the Grand Palace, we went in search of lunch. I had more pad thai (stir-fried noodles with shrimp). We also ordered a fish dish that was incredible. It was poached in water with ginger, cilantro, onions, mushrooms, and lime. We ate all of it short of drinking the poaching juice. A couple of beers and we were relaxed and ready to move on. The restaurant turned out to be in a Navy recreation facility. I thought it might be a yacht club or something because of all the nautical decorations. We think it might have been connected to the Royal Thailand Sporting Association. (LOOK THIS UP).

We walked along the road that follows the river and decided to stop for a beer. The owner told us that he did not serve it until after 5pm. He did ask what we had seen and what we planned next. We were just going to walk around. We call him Sam because we could not begin to pronounce his full name. We spent about 30 minutes chatting with him about Thailand, their king, and rock music. He loved artists mostly from the 60’s and 70’s. He said he really liked James Taylor and the Eagles. I think Elvis was mentioned in there somewhere. Sam really liked to sing and play air guitar, which he did for us. He also gave us some ideas on sights to see that were not on the usual tour. A little skeptical because of our first day, but listened. He suggested the palace where the king lives as well as the palace and plaza where the coup took place. The one place he adamantly suggested was the temple where the remains of Rama IV are kept under a statue of Buddha. It was the last day it was to be open because the king and queen were going the next day to pay homage to Rama IV and present offerings to the monks. Okay, we’re game. The other place we must go to is the jewelry store for a Thai sapphire. Sapphires in Thailand are best he said. The only place to go is where the locals go. Sam insisted. Okay, we’ll think about it.

So off we go on another adventure directed by a very friendly and very bubbly Thai. We arrive at Wat Hongrattanaram (please forgive any misspellings). It is a small temple on a side street. There were very few people around. A gentleman (I’ll call him Tom) who worked for the tourism police greeted us. He asked how we had found out about this temple and that we were lucky to be there because it was the last day that it was open. He was just a talkative and bubbly as Sam. He gave us a bit of the history of the temple area, unfortunately I did not retain much of what he told us. It is the third temple built in Bangkok. It is good luck for a city to have three temples before it is opened to the citizens for occupancy. The original temple was under renovation, but the current one was interesting. Because they were preparing for the king, a few monks were walking around as well as a couple of regular worshipers. We got to see the throne on which the king would sit while listening and reciting prayers. Outside and to the right is a small building that houses a statue of Rama IV. It was definitely a nice stop.

Tom asked to see our map and asked where we were planning to go next. We told him about the palace and another monument called The Golden Mountain. He noticed that someone had written Pan-Siam Jewelers on the map as well. He said we must go and buy a Thai sapphire and that was the best place because all the locals know about it. Tourist are never taken there. We said, we’ll consider it. He walked us out and down the street to find a taxi or tuk-tuk driver. Before we got one, though he showed us the pig that was erected as a tribute, I think to the queen. You are supposed to rub its tummy for good luck and long life.

So, we hope in the tuk-tuk (a motorcycle with a covered cart on the back) and head off to see the palace. All we really got to see was the government palace and plaza where the coup happened. Not much to see. The palace where the king lives is actually in the interior of a large area and cannot be seen from the street. One can only drive around the perimeter. Our driver took us to the jeweler, where we were met by the most interesting man. Not to offend anyone, but he definitely had feminine qualities. I do admit he knows his jewelry and what looks good on a person.

He settled us in and showed us the advertising for the company. They are certified by the Thai government, were the only jewelry manufacturer invited to be part of a business expo in Bangkok, and proudly are the suppliers of jewels to the royal family. Okay, let’s see what you have. There is no way to describe this guy’s mannerisms. You really had to be there. He kept telling Dave how beautiful I was. He reminded me how fortunate I was to be married to such a man as Dave. He apologized profusely for having to touch me when he put jewelry on me. He repeated all of these and more. The most hilarious moment in the entire process was when he misunderstood Dave’s name and called him….MR. STEVE.

We did not have the heart to correct and besides, I thought it was funny. Now when I want to embarrass Dave, all I have to do is call him Mr. Steve. Oh Mr. Steve, you are so fortunate to have such a beautiful wife. Mr. Steve, you are so good to your wife and she is so lucky to have you. Mr. Steve, now Mr. Steve, I will make you a very good deal. And yes, I now have a Thai sapphire. I admit it is one of the deepest blue sapphires I have ever seen.

We had released our tuk tuk driver. The store had a van that took us back to our hotel. They sent a girl named Sarika with us to translate for us with the driver. She told us about the palace where the king lives. There is a reason why the king is so beloved in Thailand. He has turned the palace grounds into a place of vocational learning for poor Thai farmers. They go to the palace grounds to live and learn about agriculture as well as traditional arts and crafts. They then can go back to their village and have skills that help them to make a living. The king is also well read and a very devout Buddhist. Everywhere you go, people call him “my king.” We found out during our sailing adventure that not only does the king like photography, but he also sails. More on that later. Sarika and I also had an interesting conversation on the theologies of Buddhism and Christianity. They dropped us off at the hotel and we packed up in preparation for our flight to Phuket.

And on to even greater adventures!

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Photos

Long boats
We decided to take the long boat up the river to see the Grand Palace. It is the only way to travel. Our own personal ferry.

Monastery at the Grand Palace
The temple area outside the Grand Palace is pretty spectacular. The buildings are covered with mosaic tiles.

Guards in the Temple
These little guys guard the entrance to one of the buildings. I am sorry that I cannot remember which one.

Grand Palace
The Grand Palace is used for state functions only. The King lives in another palace in Bangkok.

Catching Lunch
This what you call a really fresh lunch.

Sam
Sam directed us to great sights that were not on the map. We met the nicest people in Thailand. Rock on Sam!

Throne
This is the throne used by the King when he makes his annual visit to the Wat Hongrattanaram. We had the chance to watch preparations.

King of Thailand
There are pictures of the king everywhere.

Pad thai
I don't normally go for street food. This was some pretty good Pad Thai.

Temple in the Shopping district
This mall was built on a non-auspicious day. The temple was built to Brahma the elephant god to bring good fortune.

Santa sorta
Even in Thailand they get into the holiday spirit.