Monday, November 12, 2007

What's a Wat?

Our second day in Bangkok was overwhelming. We squeezed in a lot, including the Grand Palace and the famous reclining Buddha at the Wat Pho.

The Grand Palace was incredible. Everywhere you looked, you saw beautifully decorated temples and buildings. They were all covered in shiney glass or metalic tiles that reflected the strong sun. There were also many gardens and statues everywhere. Definitely one of the most spectacular places I have ever seen in any of my travels.

The Wat Pho houses the Reclining Buddha, a huge statue of Buddha laying on his right side. Apparently he always lay on his right because it was better for his heart. 46 meters long and 15 meters high. On one side of the temple, you could drop coins in 108 metalic bowls for good luck. 108 is a lucky number for Buddhists - who knew?




Wat Pho is also famous for its Thai massage school. Unfortunately the traditional venue was closed, but Julia and I were escorted off to a side building where we enjoyed (and agonized) Thai body massages. It definitely wasn't just a back rub. Thai massage involves very hard pressing and pushing deep into your muscles. Sometimes they would use their fingers to press into your calf muscle. Other times, their elbow was pressing your neck. We both felt pretty good and relaxed afterwards - a great way to end a long day.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW, you guys are like movie stars in my books! It sound like you guys are having a great life experience! Have fun and make sure you check ID before getting another massage. We have had enough Canadians in trouble. All the best and stay safe...Steve

Anonymous said...

What a great day you had in Bangkok! The richness of the gold statues is incredible. We're glad to hear that your adventures are off to such a good start. We've had wind storms and a power outage; hope you are enjoying the hot weather & sunshine!
love Mum

Anonymous said...

How's the beer?

Anonymous said...

Get the SHEEP! Where is Samantha?

Chris said...

Get the sheep? This must be Paul or Alan.

Anonymous said...

hey guys! glad to see that you made it there ok...Have lots of fun!!--Jamie and Gordana