Thailand, Bangkok, Wat Pho
18/11/04 Filed in: Travel
Ranking somewhere between skydiving and wild bull
wrangling is a ride in heavy traffic on the back of a
small two wheel Thai motorcycle taxi (125cc). These
guys weave in and out of traffic, sneaking around,
across lanes and back again, even up on the sidewalk.
Always jockeying to pull in front of rushing traffic,
at the fastest speed their motorcycle can manage.
Truly they possess a skill that borders the
impossible. A quick jerk on the handlebars by the
driver and the fabric of my pants caress a large bus
on one side and a Toyota on the other. I've driven my
motorcycle in California traffic on many occasions
and enjoyed the convenience of lane splitting
(driving between two lanes of stalled traffic). But
this raises the bar (and the adrenalin) to a whole
new level.
A truly invigorating ride through the back streets of Chinatown brings us past every kind of item one can imagine for sale. From a hundred kinds of dried fish to entire streets of stuffed toy animals, I eventually arrive at Wat Pho, with all limbs intact. This Wat is special in that it is one of the oldest (16th century) and has the largest collection of Buddha statues in Thailand, including the longest reclining Buddha. It was also the earliest center for public education in Thailand and today Wat Pho is the center for teaching and preserving traditional Thai massage.
Here the feeling is very soft and not nearly as crowded as where the Emerald Buddha was at Wat Phra Kaew. The focal point here of course is the 46 meter long by 15 meter high reclining Buddha. The statue is done all in gold leaf, except the eyes and the feet (which are inlaid in Mother-of-pearl, 108 auspicious scenes on the soles of the Buddha's feet).
About the grounds are numerous buildings housing another 394 large gilded Buddha's. There's a very comfortable, expansive feeling here and I sit for a while in one of the many beautiful courtyards, in a shaded area by some little statues. After a while I catch sight of a few of the many younger (boys) monks talking and playing between classes. I have learned that it is expected that every Thai male child will spend some time as a monk, before he takes up any career. At any one time there can be nearly 500,000 monks in Thailand. This may be a better idea than what is often done in the west: sending the young boys to learn war.
Mii kwaamsuk (I am happy)
Please check out all the photos on my SE Asia Portfolio page available at NavaSwan.com
A truly invigorating ride through the back streets of Chinatown brings us past every kind of item one can imagine for sale. From a hundred kinds of dried fish to entire streets of stuffed toy animals, I eventually arrive at Wat Pho, with all limbs intact. This Wat is special in that it is one of the oldest (16th century) and has the largest collection of Buddha statues in Thailand, including the longest reclining Buddha. It was also the earliest center for public education in Thailand and today Wat Pho is the center for teaching and preserving traditional Thai massage.
Here the feeling is very soft and not nearly as crowded as where the Emerald Buddha was at Wat Phra Kaew. The focal point here of course is the 46 meter long by 15 meter high reclining Buddha. The statue is done all in gold leaf, except the eyes and the feet (which are inlaid in Mother-of-pearl, 108 auspicious scenes on the soles of the Buddha's feet).
About the grounds are numerous buildings housing another 394 large gilded Buddha's. There's a very comfortable, expansive feeling here and I sit for a while in one of the many beautiful courtyards, in a shaded area by some little statues. After a while I catch sight of a few of the many younger (boys) monks talking and playing between classes. I have learned that it is expected that every Thai male child will spend some time as a monk, before he takes up any career. At any one time there can be nearly 500,000 monks in Thailand. This may be a better idea than what is often done in the west: sending the young boys to learn war.
Mii kwaamsuk (I am happy)
Please check out all the photos on my SE Asia Portfolio page available at NavaSwan.com