Tuesday, March 2, 2010

The Thailand and Laos Report. Episode 2: Big Golden Buddha





    Bangkok traffic is absolutely insane, a wild tangle of cars, trucks, buses, motorbikes and tuktuks. On one trip out to the airport (33 km which costs about 6 euros/$10 Canadian) our cab took 15 minutes to crawl one kilometre. 
     The fastest way around the city is via the clean, modern and icily air-conditioned Skytrain. A slower, more atmospheric means of transport are the boats that motor along the Chao Phraya river. 
     Disembark at the stop for Wat Pho and you can join the queue to see the Reclining Buddha. It's a memorable moment when you first sight that serene and beautiful head and realize that the serene and beautiful feet are 46 metres away. Gold leaf covers it entirely while the soles of the feet are decorated with 108 images inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

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