Day 5, Bangkok, Thailand

Good morning

Are you ready to take in the sights of Bangkok...City of Angels??

Ok, put on your face mask...unless you want the pollution to suffocate you...hop into the tuk-tuk...and off we go....be patient...the traffic is horrendous...but the people are great....always a smile on their pleasant faces.......you simply gotta love the charm of this city.

First sacred destination:
Wat Traimit is thought to date from the 13th century. The Golden Buddha image is about 900 years old and is cast in the Sukhothai style. It is believed to have been brought first to Ayutthaya. When the Burmese were about to sack the city, it was covered in plaster to hide its value. Two centuries later, still in plaster, it was thought to be worth very little. But in 1957, when the image was being moved to a new temple in Bangkok, it slipped from a crane and was left in the mud by workmen. In the morning, a temple monk, who had dreamed that the statue was divinely inspired, went to see the Buddha image. Through a crack in the plaster he saw a glint of yellow, and discovered that the statue was pure gold. The graceful seated Buddha is nearly 10 feet high and weighs over 5 tons, and a sight to behold.

Lets move on
Wat Pho is the one of the largest and oldest wats in Bangkok (with an area of 50 rai, 80,000 square metres), and is home to more than one thousand Buddha images, as well as one of the largest single Buddha images: the Reclining Buddha .This image is forty-six metres long and fifteen metres high, decorated with gold plating on his body and mother of pearl on his eyes and the soles of his feet. The latter display 108 auspicious scenes in Chinese and Indian styles.

Next stop
Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram or the marble temple is one of Bangkok's most beautiful temples

and now on to the breathtaking Wat Phra Kaew ....did you know that the colours orange and green are reserved for palaces and temples only in Thailand?? The Wat Phra Kaew or Temple of the Emerald Buddha is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand and is is located in the historic center of Bangkok , within the grounds of the Grand Palace.

The entrance is guarded by two colossal "demons"

The Ramakien is Thailand's national epic, derived from the Indian Ramayana epic.A mural of the Ramakien is displayed at Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew..

The Emerald Buddha itself is simply the Jadeite statue, but it is adorned with garments made of gold. There are three different sets of gold clothing, which are changed by the King of Thailand in a ceremony at the changing of the seasons - in the 1st Waning of Lunar Months 4, 8 and 12 (around March, July and November). The three sets of gold garments correspond to Thailand's hot season, rainy season, and cool season

The Grand Palace served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards but the the present King of Thailand, King Rama IX does not reside here

Pretty Impressive stuff , huh??

Well, no trip to Bangkok is complete without a little shopping and entertainment, right;-)??

Now that we have shopped, let's drop in to a local restaurant where we can dig into a sumptuous Thai feast of culinary delights - simply loved the delicately carved fruit and veggies-

whilst we are entertained by beautiful Thai dancers......before we leave Thailand for our next destination....

......Goodbye Bangkok....

Day 4, Ayutthaya to Bangkok, Thailand

Welcome to Ayutthaya.......your tour guide through this part of the journey is ME';-)

Let's enter Wat Chai Wattanaram, one of the most impressive of the remaining monuments of old Ayutthaya, and another UNESCO world heritage site

It was built in 1629 by King Prasat Tong, who was actually a commoner who overthrew the previous king and took the throne. The Ayutthaya period was definitely Thailand's "Golden Age." The town of Ayutthaya was founded in 1351& it was sacked and destroyed by the Burmese in 1767.

Look carefully, the Buddhas---> their heads have been chopped off by the Burmese invaders! Why??.....to show dominance and conquest conquest over the Thai people, and it was believed that precious metals and jewellery were hidden in the heads!

I was fascinated by this ancient city....to tread where previously only royalty could .......if the buildings could talk they would spin tales ...full of intrigue and slayings....

Next Stop Bang Pa In, a relatively modern royal retreat on an island in the Chao Phraya river.

Now we are going to take a leisurely boat ride down the river.......
past the floating markets....

people living along the klongs(canals)......

Wat Arun.....now I can see why it is called the Temple of the Dawn.....spectacular view

final destination......Bangkok

Goodnight....we will tour the city of Bangkok tomorrow before moving on to Malaysia and Singapore....

Day 4, Sukhothai, Thailand

Next stop , a UNESCO world heritage site, Sukhothai

Sukhothai was the capital of the first Kingdom of Siam in the 13th and 14th centuries. It has a number of fine monuments, illustrating the beginnings of Thai architecture. The great civilization which evolved in the Kingdom of Sukhothai absorbed numerous influences and ancient local traditions; the rapid assimilation of all these elements forged what is known as the 'Sukhothai style





courtesy of Mary http://www.postcrossing.com/user/mamarine

Day 4, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Now that you are feeling really relaxed, let's leave Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand for , for Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples (called "wat" in Thai). These include:
Wat Phra Singh: located within the city walls, dates from 1345 and offers an example of classic northern Thai style architecture. It houses the Phra Singh Buddha, a highly venerated figure, transferred here many years ago from Chiang Rai. This temple is one of the most important temples in the city.

Day 4, Thailand and Laos

Hmmm, are you feeling relaxed after cruising around all those breathtaking Thai islands?
No?
Would you like some opium??
You would??

Well, let's go to the Golden Triangle...... one of Asia's two main illicit opium-producing areas. It is an area of around 350,000 square kilometres that overlaps the mountains of four countries of Southeast Asia: Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand

Day 4, Thailand, Island hopping:-)

Sawasdee...ka

The journey thus far has been really hectic, so I thought it was time for some rest and relaxation, so today we are going island hopping around Thailand's rejuvenating islands and some of the best underwater diving spots in the world....

Enjoyyyy...

next stop....mainland Thailand- land of the smiley faces:-)