Wats and Tuks!

Mandy: 9th – 10th October – Bangkok

Since we posted the last blog we have been visiting the many Temples (wats) and ‘must see’ tourist sites in Bangkok.

Our first visit was to The Grand Palace. You will notice that there are no photos of me in amongst the splendid temples. In the past temples have provided ornate scarves and sarongs to cover our arms and legs where necessary, this time however Glen noticed that a free David Brent style poly cotton work shirt was provided for all women! I thought of it more like a Communist China uniform shirt….either way it was awful!!! Serves me right for not buying an over priced but pretty wrap from the vendors gathered outside of the entrance before we went in!!

That first day we walked about 4 1/2 miles. Not a surprise to us. However Glen was delighted and surprised that we managed to clock up another 3 1/2 miles on his pedometer on the second day until he realised that two of those miles were probably added by bumping around in the back of the bloody tuk tuk during our ‘Tailor made’ tour (anyone who has been to Bangkok will know about the Tailors and the tuk tuk drivers who take you to their factory shops!!! Full story saved for another day)

Anyway back to our tuk tuk ride, it was like we were in an episode of Wacky Races! Although maybe we were in a car chase on a film set, those of you who have read our previous blogs will know that whilst traveling around Asia last year we often happened upon a film crew or three! (You won’t believe this but i wrote this blog in our room and then walked to a bar to sit and proof read it and we passed a film crew on the street! What are the chances!! Anyway I had better get back to my beer and proof reading the rest of this!)

We arrived at our first chosen destination ‘The Golden Mount’ and I took a photo of the tuk tuk (thinking that it might be the last chance we would be able to do so with it in one piece!!!) I gestured to the young plump driver to get in the photo but he stepped back and patted his belly. I wasn’t sure whether he was camera shy, conscious maybe of his ample figure, or if he was explaining that he was feeling ill….. I think he gave himself car sickness the way he was weaving in and out of the traffic and bombing around the corners on two wheels …….closely missing a pedestrian on a level crossing!!! Glen just said “was he taken sick? or tuk sick” lol

Later that day we visited Wat Pho Temple.

We had traveled thousands of miles to see the Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho assuming it had been laying there waiting to be discovered when actually it has been traveling itself over the years! moving sites and being camouflaged during a certain period of their history. I would say not like in Egypt where the great pyramids of Giza have been there since ‘God was a boy’ (as my boss would say) …but no, even in Egypt they move things! Whole gigantic stone structures like The Abu Simbel temples! As they say, not everything that glitters is gold…. Although the Reclining Buddha is covered in gold as it happens (smile) worth over 250 million dollars!