2011 - NZ To SF - Day 76

Day 76: (28 July 2011):
- Breakfast. Rice soup. Untasty iced cocoa. Felix have untasty iced coffee.
- Pick up train tickets. News that a princess died. Not sure if palace open, as there is event at palace.
- Store bags. Felix work problem. He deal with while I get post card. Say thank you, maybe used girl ending. Nice walk. See simple ice coffee cart. Ice coffee bag later. (Is this here?) A bit lost, then find ferry. Old fort & large bridge. Take to close to Wat Arun. Then small ferry 3B across river. <1min crossing. Longer board / wait.
- Boats full. Like a big bus. Blue vs. orange flag.
- Monks around. Wats much more well maintained than in Cambodia.
- Beautiful large wats. Buddha figures.
- Wat Arun very tall & impressive. Many wats covered in pieces of china/porcelin.
- Donate before. when in blessing: spray water. Some surprised & cover camera. If know there is admission, would not have donated.
- Steep steps up Wat Arun. Nice view of Bangkok. Wats & skyscrapers & river.
- Fish at ferry dock. Sell food to feed fish.
- Nearly lose wallet when fall out. Stopped by pole, else fall in river.
- Next: wat with humongous reclining Buddha. Beautiful paintings. Mother of pearl feet bottoms & pillow. 20B of ¼ B coins to drop in series of bowls. Considered getting to get a ¼ B coin. Maybe good thing I didn’t, so temple can keep its coins. Felix thought it was great way to get money. “Pay to get the experience of giving.”
- Beautiful fields of stupas.
- Buddha statues, one of Buddha under Bodhi tree.
- Gold leaf put on statues by worshippers?
- A few beautiful tall stupas covered in ceramics. Something about massage inscriptions?
- Some new tiles are very shiny. As some people told us in Cambodia, parts of palace & temples look like it belongs in Vegas.
- Coconuts for thirst throughout day. Smaller than in Cambodia.
- Ticket for Reclining Buddha includes other sites, but decide no time to visit, as quite far away.
- Decide walk to Palace. Large complex & wall. Have to hold coconut for long time. No rubbish bins this side.
- See entrance. Open & tourists. Place to get “decent” clothing for refundable deposit. We have shoes, long pants & collared shirts, as told people dress up for palace.
- 15 min left for the temple (close 3:15), but palace open until 4:15.
- Room of armed guards at entrance. Machine guns.
- Palace temple is the pictures seen frequently of Bangkok. Impressive. Cool statues. Mini Angkor Wat model. Bunch of guards touring, pics. Their machine guns piled up. Costume almost like British guards.
- Beautiful paintings guilded with gold. Wish knew story in pics. Same stories as ones in National Museum of Phnom Penh?
- Large shiny fancy main wat. Statues & huge “throne” with Emerald Buddha on it. Robes on Emerald Buddha. Size of temple & “throne” really validates its importance. Sign: no photo, no video, no pointing feet @ Buddha. People sit with tucked feet. I just sit cross legged.
- Turns out a spontaneous photo I took outside through the door captured an image of the Emerald Buddha.
- Go to palace. A French-looking bld. Some small blds. A large impressive Thai-style roof bld. Throne room. Throne with levels & the “umbrellas” above. Throne in picture has extra section than one in real life. Fans in room are gold-coloured.
- Apparently can visit more of palace, but parts closed due to event.
- Fancy cars arrive frequently, we told to move out of the way. Car with Indian flags & Indian-looking driver.
- As walk out palace, a few processions happen. Scouts (?) line road, & people stand around. Thought would wait for king. Looks like he’s coming.
- Long wait. A woman faint. Directors position people. Tell people where they cannot stand. No sitting, no shades, no umbrellas, etc. A woman pass out, could be heatstroke. No photos/videos.
- See people outside, & guards chase cars. Sometimes no cars (road closed).
- Some important people arrive & scouts all told to salute.
- Next time this happened, see cars then van with king. I quite excited.
- Stunned reaction from crowd, Felix: “can feel the reverence.” Murmurs, some bowing as King slowly drive by. French tourists ahead not sure if is King. Thai woman 30s-40s, very excited, hands to mouth, tell french tourists (gush): “oh, you saw the King, you’ll be lucky, you’ll be lucky! etc..” Head back after. Quite happy.
- Walk by amulet market & uni. Lots of tasty-looking street food. Piles of amulets. Rock, metal, etc. Cases & gem-looking things in cases.
- Minor confusion of how to cross road.
- Quick dinner at street stalls.
- Internet. Big problem with Felix’s work starts getting serious.
- Tuktuk to train less than expected. I wave one down on road.
- Sit on floor to wait. Small supermarket, get drink, etc. Consider beer.
- Corn drink.
- See on TV the King’s van turning into palace, which we saw earlier.
- Easy to find train. Find bunks. Beds made by person going around. Talk to Thai living in Syd.
- Chen bunks down, Felix & I sit in restaurant car drinking & chatting. Drunk Thai trying to talk to me. People can’t tell if I’m Thai or not. Shaky, other’s soup splash around. Difficult pour beer. make feel more drunk. Nice atmosphere.
- Brush teeth, etc. Sleep. Narrow, cozy behind curtain. Wish had lower bunk.
- Poor night of sleep, as opposite to expected. Too bumpy?