Click on images below to enlarge:
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| A scene from one of the murals running along the perimeter of the temple
complex. The murals depict mythical scenes from the Ramakien. There
are hundreds of meters of murals -- they just go on and on. They're
creative and varied.
| An army marches across the back of a giant monster in order to cross a
river.
| A temple with men on one side and women on the other, and beggars outside.
A scene of life?
| A panoramic movie showing one segment of the Ramakien mural.
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| A surprising contrast: at left, a two multi-armed monsters fight many
troops; at right, mythical beings and humans are each peacefully playing
in or near the river.
| Even the big guys need naps sometime.
| A battle outside a castle. Wow that archer can shoot arrows very fast!
| Painting restorers at work. So young!
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| The Grand Palace
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| In the Grand Palace, the Borom Phiman Mansion, a former royal residence,
now the royal guest house.
| This old guy (statue) seems very happy with his fruit (a guava?).
| Chakri Maha Prasat Hall, the Grand Palace Hall, with the
Snamchand Pavilion in the foreground. It's interesting that the Chakri
Maha Prasat Hall consists of a Thai-style roof on a generally
European building. Maybe excellent.
| A panorama of Chakri Maha Prasat Hall and its garden from the front.
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| Looking along the Chakri Maha Prasat Hall, over the garden in front of it,
toward Rajkaranyasapha Hall.
| A closer look at Rajkaranyasapha Hall, from a different side.
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No pictures were allowed inside the palaces, but that's okay because
they're not impressive.
| Aphorn Phimok Prasat Pavilion.
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| I took this picture because I liked the feel of this bridge/driveway
entrance. Plus, I got another tiny, intricate tower in the background.
| Building housing the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Keo) Museum.
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There are batteries of old cannons scattered around the complex.
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| Street Markets and Lunch
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| Outside the Grand Palace, a monk in the street markets of Bangkok.
| A panoramic movie of the food court street market.
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We spotted two stands selling green-themed bags, with messages about
recycling, saving the earth, avoiding plastics, etc. I guess Thais know
what appeals to the kind of people with enough money and interest in
touring Bangkok.
| I think this is a different street market. I think this one is near the
Tha Tien Pier on Thanon Thai Wang. (I'm not sure if the previous one is
the same as this one.)
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| The stand in the market where we ate lunch.
| My pad see ew. Di Yin says it's a bit sweet, but it's fine for me.
| I bought a durian popsicle (out of curiosity) from the stand in the
middle of this picture.
Two tastes, and I threw it away.
By
the way, it melted very fast in the heat.
| Sidewalk-style street markets, and more monks.
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Street-side bought fresh pineapple.
The vendor held the pineapple
in his hand as he cut it! He must really know how sharp his knife is and
how resistant the fruit is lest his knife go too far and cut himself. As
I noticed over the course of my trip, this method of cutting fruit is a
common (though stupid) practice in Bangkok.
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| The Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Po)
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| Lines of elaborately detailed towers (stupas) by the Temple of the
Reclining Buddha (Wat Po). Would be excellent if I cropped out the
flags and power lines.
| Another tower, plus one end of a prayer hall.
| More stupas (towers).
Wat Po has an incredible number of these --
they're everywhere!
| A short panoramic movie of this part of the complex, just to give a sense
of everything that's there (that doesn't have a photograph devoted to it
in particular).
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| Yet more stupas/small towers. Excellent.
| A row of stupas in front of a different hall.
| Huge stupa towers loom above an open-air pavilion. Despite their size,
they're not less intricate than the smaller ones. Excellent?
| A flowery gateway in front of a gilded hall.
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