Right now Nuri is on his way or arriving at some WWII sights or the Tiger temple. I'm taking the day to do things he hates- shopping in big markets and spa treatments.
Yesterday was extremely draining and a sensory overload. We went on Lonely Planet's 1.5-2 hour walking tour of all the major sights. It turns out that it's a 2 hour tour without stopping to see anything. We started at the Grand Palace which was an overwhelming display of gold and precious gems/metals. Some of the huge buildings are just completely gold leaf which is hard to look at and extremely brilliant. We were completeley mesmerized by our surroundings and the comlex is gigantic. It is building after building of giant gold Buddhas, gold painted murals and towering, intricate spires. (Picture on the right.)
After the temple, we went to Wat Pho. It seemed like a similar, albeit smaller, collection of buildings. We were utterly shocked at the reclining Buddha. It just goes on and on, brilliantly golden, in a building filled with extremely detailed murals. (Picture on the left.)
From Wat Pho, we found our way to the river to get on a a boat to Wat Arun. Wat Arun has a more interactive element- you can climb the structure. The climb up, and especially the climb down, is not for the faint of heart. It is high and damn steep. Still, the view makes it worth it. It was a little different than the other places with less gold and more intricate patterns. It was more like what you see in pictures of Angkor Wat.
Unfortunately, all along the way there were annoying Tuk Tuk hustlers who want to get all up in your business and try to sell you something completely unnecessary. It took away from the experience a little bit but the trip was well worth it.
We did much more yesterday, including a Muay Thai event. Holy crap, those guys can take a beating. We also ate plenty of street food and I was able to go out later for a drink. I will talk more about those later- I'm running out of internet minutes.
Much love from the hottest, most humid, dirty city in south east Asia (well, maybe not, but it sure feels it!)
