Bangkok

Our first full day in Thailand was spent in Bangkok.
 It doesn't matter what time of day it is, because the weather is always hot and humid. We have a lovely tour guide named Nop for our time in this country. He met us in the lobby at 8:30 am Friday morning. Along with the rest of our group, we boarded our bus to go see the sights! This was the first time we had the opportunity to see the city in the daytime. Being up high in the bus was nice because it gave a better vantage point for pictures and views.

Our first stop was the Tramit Witthayaram Temple which is home to a solid gold Buddha. The detail and beauty of this temple was extremely impressive. 

 



 So the story goes, the Buddha is known to truly be solid gold because when it was being placed in it's current temple, the crane dropped it and it didn't break. If it were only plated in gold, it would have shattered.

 









Our second stop was to Wat Pho, or if you prefer the traditional name, Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn.
 If you want to read about the historical and cultural significance of this temple, click here.
I could try to explain the traditions to you, but out of respect and a need for accuracy, I'll let you read about it from the experts.

Wat Pho is home to the Reclining Buddha which resides in the assembly hall building. It is an understatement to say this Buddha is huge.

 There are 999 Buddha images in this entire temple because 1000 is considered perfection. This place was gorgeous and demanded your respect. There were tourists as well as people there to pray. This hall with the Reclining Buddha is only one of many on the property.










Wat Pho also has a Thai massage school, as it is considered one of the highest forms of medicine. This Thai traditional medical school is the first to be approved by the Thai Ministry of Education.

 This place is gorgeous. Here are some photos to show you what I mean.

Hey, Adam... proud of my use of the panorama setting?

After we went to the two temples, we drove through parts of Bangkok to see the flower market and explore the city. I wish we had a chance to walk around on the streets more, but seeing it from the bus wasn't bad either. Bangkok is really beautiful, but it has it's rough areas. There is a certain interest in those areas, too though. I didn't mind being stuck in traffic (they have a lot of it) because I got to see how the city works. Here are some pictures from around Bangkok...

This seems like sort of a short entry, but I feel like the pictures say more than my words do! If you follow me on Facebook then you'll see my complete photo album. I'm going to try to get a gallery up on the blog as well so you can see all of our pictures!

We're having an incredible time. I know it is said far too many times, but pictures truly don't do it justice. I love Thailand so far and I'm already thinking about what to see when I come back.

Until next time! <3