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Published: November 8th 2008
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What, you might ask, is a wat? A wat is a temple, of which there are many (MANY) in Bangkok. Since I last blogged, we have visited Chinatown, the Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha, the Vimanmek Teak Mansion and taken a river tour. A lot to cover so get comfy...
Our adventure to Chinatown started in a tuk-tuk. A tuk-tuk is a three-wheeled "motorcycle" or sorts with room for 2 - 4 people on the back under an awning. They are called tuk-tuks after the noise they make (and yes, they are quite noisy). We think they sound like the chainsaw noise that Homer makes in the Simpsons Movie, if you need a reference. Our journey to Chinatown took us through a little night market (as Lonely Planet recommended visiting Chinatown at night) which sold interesting things... used shoes, calendars from 1994, used underwear, buddhas, motor oil... basically it was a flea market which we "window-shopped" at quite rapidly as our tuk-tuk driver wove through the crowds. Chinatown itself was filled with smells and foods we had never experienced before. It seemed that everyone in Chinatown was eating outside. We had already eaten, and I'm not sure I would have
Chinatown
Pig face. been brave enough to order even if I was starving.
The Grand Palace is the former royal residence and it is gorgeous. The royal family no longer lives there but they still use it for certain ceremonies. While we were there they were setting up for some ceremony that is supposed to take place next week. We never quite figured out what it was. We were also lucky enough to get to dress in the clothes they provide if you're not dressed suitably for visiting such important places - this means we got to wear an ugly button-down khaki shirt and a wrap-around skirt. We thought we were going to die we were so hot.
In the same grounds as the Grand Palace is Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The grounds are absolutely stunning, and quite literally blinding, as everything is gold or jeweled. The buddha was smaller than I thought it was going to be, but it is a special Buddha. It is actually made out of jasper, it made its way to Bangkok hidden inside a layer of stucco, only to be seized by Laos and later recaptured by the Thais. No
cameras are allowed in the building where the Emerald Buddha resides, so sorry, no pictures.
The Vimanmek Teak Mansion is absolutely gorgeous. It claims to be the largest golden teak building in the world, which I would believe. We were not allowed to take a camera inside and we didn't take a picture of the outside due to the deluge that started the second we got outside, so you'll have to use your imagination or Google a picture. It was built around 1900 by Rama V (the king back then) and it is HUGE. I forget all the details, so some of this might be made up, but bare with me... The mansion is made up of 5 apartments of different colors, with 4 rooms each. A lot of the rooms are octagonal shaped (for reasons that were never explained) and the kings quarters are home to the first shower in Thailand. It's hard to emphasize how huge this house is and the fact that it was built in only 19 months. (Side note: American builders could really learn something from Asian builders - We have seen restaurants go up in 4 days, new stores open in less, HUGE
teak mansions built in 19 months... I'm just saying...). Here's a link to one picture of the mansion I found on the web: http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1609/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1609-21386.jpg if you want to check it out. Super impressive. Anyway, the royal family uses the mansion occasionally for receptions and other ceremonies.
Bangkok has been known in the past as the "Venice of the East" and if you take a boat ride you will see why. The Mae Nam Chao Phraya (Chao Phraya River) is the main artery of the city and is still used today by barges and taxis. We hired a boat and were taken on a 1.5 hour tour of some of the canals. It is definitely a cross section of Bangkok that you would not experience unless you take a boat tour. I am surprised that many of the houses are still standing, and most of them are in various states of capsizing. I was amazed at the different types of homes. There are huge, new mansions right next to sinking teak homes. A lot of homes have little "docks" with seats and tables, although the water is so dirty I am not sure that I would find it the most
Chinatown
Jack fruit. Don't like it. enjoyable place to sit. The water was a little rough so some of the pictures leave a little to be desired, but it was a really pleasant tour.
Okay, that sums it up... I'll post pictures so you can see for yourself.
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