Sunday 9th December 1984 – Bangkok
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| Detail of some of the incredible work at the temples |
As the tour of Buddhist temples was
leaving at 08.30, we were down to breakfast pretty promptly. Lovely meal, most
attractively served with marvellously carved fruit as decorations. I had a full
American breakfast with waffles replacing the pancakes. Fortified, we boarded
the bus and set off through the bumpy, scruffy streets of Bangkok.
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| The five tonne gold Buddha |
The first stop was a temple where
there is a solid gold Buddha, said to weigh five and a half tons!! It was
only discovered in the 50s when it was
being moved from its original site. The story was that it had been covered in
concrete many years ago during a period of war and had remained in hiding until
a workman noticed a crack in the concrete and a gleam of gold. Quite an
impressive sight. There were also four smaller Buddhas which were in the
process of being gilded. Worshippers could buy small strips of gold for about
two Baht – six cents – and stick them on the statues, gradually building up a
layer of solid gold.
Back in the coach to Wat Pho, a
whole series of temples, all of which are in pretty good condition. I just
couldn’t get over the sight – really magnificent. Lovely tiles, inset with
multi-coloured mirrors and gold foil – it is difficult to adequately describe
the beauty and the detail. The centrepiece is a massive temple with an equally
massive Buddha reclining. I reckon his feet, which are decorated with inlaid
mother of pearl, must be six feet long, while the statue is about fifty eight
yards long, as I paced it out, and between twenty and thirty feet high. Really
quite an experience to see a work like this. There were stalls all around but
we forbore to buy anything, strange though that may seem.
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| The Reclining Buddha |
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| Detail of the inlay in the feet |
Onwards we went to the final call of the day, the
King’s Temple.
On the way we passed the Palace which is hundreds of acres in the middle of the
city, surrounded by a moat and completely self-sufficient as far as the basic
necessities are concerned, with paddy fields, cattle, maize etc. The King’s Temple, built of white
marble was another beautiful building and there was an interesting collection
of Buddhas, from many countries. The monks were all chanting mantras prior to
having lunch. Quite a spectacle.
On the way back to the hotel we made
the requisite commercial stop at the Rama Lapidary Centre for some sapphires
and rubies but found nothing we really liked. Got back to the hotel at oneish
and after I had dropped off my films for processing at the corner shop, we
browsed around the shops in the hotel and finally got hold of a couple of
carats of square cut sapphires at a reasonable price so that Rab can have her
ring made back home. Back to the room for a rest and a shower (and for me to
catch up with this diary!) and then back to River Place for the silk dress which Rab
had her eye on for Z$85 – very nice too.
We went tonight by coach with
another TFC party who have been touring India
and who we will cross paths with again in Pattaya and Hong
Kong. This was an additional tour for about Z$20 each to a seafood
restaurant. There was a three course meal – a very thin and somewhat tasteless
soup, a grilled fish between four people with a tasty, pineapple flavoured
fried rice followed by a delicious basket of mixed crustaceans – half a dozen
small prawns, three large ones, two small rock lobsters, a crab and six each of
clams and mussels. There was a rockess (female
bogan/redneck) from Botswana
in the other group who didn’t like sea food, so I had hers and a few leftovers
from our group too. Delicious. On display on ice at the entrance was the
biggest crayfish I have ever seen. It must have been three foot long and was as
thick as my calf. Huge, but not for eating. All a very good day – most
enjoyable. Must call it a day now – we are off early in the morning.
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