Chakri Maha Prasad

We had decided to postpone our half day tour of palaces and temples until 11:00, and a good thing.  We barely made our pick up time, but Ya was there waiting for us.  Still adjusting to this time zone.  Our drive took us through bustling Bangkok, past China Town gold shops etc.  We toured the Grand Palace first, and what a place.  Initially built in 1782.  The buildings are mind boggling.  Beautiful and colorful.  Surfaced refurbished each year after the rainy season by hand.  Statues and other intricacies of the story of Buddha and the warring peoples.  

 We also saw Wat Phra Keo, the Emerald Buddha, which apparently was hidden within a cement encasement for hundreds of years before being dropped revealing the jade idol within.  This Buddha has three different costumes for three seasons which are changed accordingly by the King (currently too old so this custom carried out by his son the Prince).  We saw the rainy season costume.

 This picture taken from outside the temple using the zoom as no photos allowed inside.  Also, removed shoes to enter the temple.  Lots of folks kneeling as this shrine is active for Thai's to worship, but no candles nor incence inside as there is no way to clean soot etc.  Typical offerings are flower garland, incense, burning candles and gold leaf.  The incense smoke carries this wish of the person to Buddha.  After leaving the palace grounds, we stopped to purchase our pajamas.  On to Wat Po, the reclining Buddha, massive.  The building was constructed around the statue after finished.

 Following that, we walked to the pier where Ya had arranged to wisk us back to the hotel via a Long Tail Boat.  We wound our way through the canal past homes, temples, etc.  Saw some Water Monitors sunning on a concrete landing. This was an extra not in our tour package and was really worth the extra baht.

 The long boats are driven by the big V8 engines balanced on the back and managed by this tiny Thai fellow.  After we returned to the hotel, we had a short siesta before our dinner cruise on the river.  Ya waited the entire time sitting patiently in the lobby, although she did have a couple of visitors that we noted when passing by a couple of times (to the 7-11 for cash, water and beer).  The dinner cruise was very enjoyable, and as Ya had said, not very spicy at all - good for foreigners.