Back to first impressions

After 4,5 months in South East Asia, I must admit I got tired of temples, especially the modern, golden ones. But when I first arrived in Bangkok, this was exactly what mesmerized and fascinated me. In those first few days I made a day trip to the Grand Palace and surrounding temples. I took the boat and entered the chaos of Bangkok transport. “Come on, come on. Keep going. All the way to the back. The back! Go to the back!” an angry sounding man yelled at the tourists.

I had to get off at pier 9. I felt like I was cattle as I shuffled through the boat, pushing my way through the rows of people, trying to reach the shore. I swapped the busy boat for the busy streets around the palace. It was not long after the Thai king had died and I was surprised it was open to visitors. Some areas were closed though and there was a strict dress code. Dressed in black I entered the security tent. They were asking for passports, but luckily I got through with just my drivers license. After a metal detector and a bag search I was cleared to enter.

The inner square was filled with tour groups, some random people with maps in between. I tried to follow the crowd, but it turned out they weren’t going to the ticket office. Eventually I found it and found the first Wat, or temple, Wat Phra Kaew. It was once built as a private temple for the royals. It was certainly not private anymore. Despite the signs asking for silence, there was a buzz going around the place. People were talking loudly, taking selfies and tour guides with mircophones moved through the crowd.

The most famous building in the complex is the temple of the emerald Buddha. The small statue has three different sets of clothes and was currently wearing its winter attire. Gold was shimmering around it. Everything was golden. There was a huge golden stupa. All the buildings were decorated with gold, flowers patterns and paintings. There were statues everywhere, some looking like they came straight out of the Pirates of the Carribean movies.

The temple was the main attraction on the palace grounds, but there was also a coin collection and a museum about the royal wardrobe. The latter was actually pretty fun. There were dresses that belonged to the queen, but also clothing that is used in Khon dancing, the traditional dance. It is unbelievable how many layers they wear. Some of the clothes even have to be sewn as the dancers are wearing it.

Behind the Grand palace lies Wat Pho. I had to make my way around the palace complex and noticed a big line of people. They were all waiting to pay their respects to the king. The line was insane. All these people stood, dressed in black, in the heat. They were handing out free food and water. Every few minutes a group of people was let into the palace, only to join a new line that wrapped all around the temple. This king was loved.

At Wat Pho I headed straight to the reclining Buddha. It’s pretty much the only part of the temple where it is so busy you basically walk in a line, following the masses as you admire the size of the statue. You can walk all around it. Getting a good photo seems impossible though. The building is built to fit tightly around the Buddha, so you can only try from its head or feet. People are pushing each other over to get a picture from the head side. Funny, to see this in a place that is meant to be all about peace and quiet.

The last Wat of the day is Wat Arun, right across the river. A small ferry goes up and down the river. Unfortunately Wat Arun is completely surrounded by scaffolding. It’s a lovely white building with a lot of green decoration, but in this state it is just not as pretty. Since the temple is right next to the water, it is the perfect place for a little rest and a look at the river life.

This was my first day of Thai culture and religion. I didn’t know where to look. Bangkok is a crazy city and perhaps not the best one to choose as your first in South East Asia, but it doesn’t leave you any time to think twice about it. Bangkok sucks you in. You’re immediately part of the craziness. Even at its temples it can be hard to find the calmness. But right there standing on the river’s edge, looking out over the busy river, I found a moment of relaxation.