Reclining Buddha at Wat Po
Class is over (for now) and I finally got a chance to go sight-seeing here in Bangkok! Andy came to visit from the other side of the world too, so it’s a perfect opportunity for both of us to see the classic itinerary items on a standard Bangkok tour, and for me to practice my expanded vocabulary, though a taxi driver today told me my Thai wasn’t really clear. Jerk.
First we took the Chao Phraya Express Ferry up the river. The ferry is a super efficient means of transportation. I think New York City should have a better means of transportation up and down the East and Hudson rivers. Sure there’s the Water Taxi, but it operates on a very limited schedule, probably because it costs an arm and a leg to power one of their boats.
They should learn from the Thais and stick a car engine on the back of a boat for a real sense of danger! After all, it is NYC, right!? (Frankly, I think NYC has recently lost its grit. Gone are the good old days when people thought that if you came from Brooklyn, you probably were carrying a gun!)
This is a classic shot of the famous Reclining Buddha at Wat Po, here in Bangkok. It’s the largest reclining Buddha in Thailand. You can’t even get a good photo of it since the temple is so small in comparison. It’s hard to get a shot from a good enough distance. The feet are inlaid with mother-of-pearl swirls on the toes and on the bottom of the feet are illustrations of characteristics of a Buddha.
Five toes on each foot…
Complete with a pillow to rest on. (Head looks strangely reminiscent of a durian shell.)
And, a shot of Andy for his mom. : )
