Saturday, March 1, 2014

The Temples of Bangkok

After arriving to Bangkok and selling the bikes we spent some time visiting the temples and museums like most tourists. Here are some pictures of the temples and architecture of Bangkok.

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We stayed in the Phra Nakhon District in Bangkok. Within walking distance we could walk along the river and see the Santi Chai Prakan Pavillion shown above.

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The Phra Sumen Fort was close to our accommodations and delighted us every night. 

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We visited the royal palace. This is where the royal family used to live until they moved to a better neighborhood.

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The place is amazing and Ali is clearly having a good time.

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The walls are painted with gold leaf telling stories that mix religion, mythology, and history about the Thai people.

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Of course the whole place is dedicated to Buddha. There is no official state religion in the Thai constitution, which guarantees religious freedom for all Thai citizens, though the king is required by law to be a Theravada Buddhist.

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I found even the bell towers to be magnificent.

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One temple is dedicated to the Emerald Buddha. The story goes that this Buddha was covered in plaster until it was struck by lightning and the Buddha was revealed. The Buddha has three sets of gold clothing and quite an amazing story.

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There are many museums in the Royal Palace. We went to the the Royal Textile Museum as well as the Thai Historic Weapons Museum. No photography allowed in the museums so you miss out.

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I leave you with the artsy picture of the week. Bye.


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