On Friday afternoon Mom and I headed back into Bangkok and took the water taxi, which is a cheap way to travel to different locations in Bangkok on the river/canal system. First we stopped at Wat Po, which is located near the Grand Palace, and is known for the large, golden reclining Buddha that lies inside the Wat. Then we walked through some smaller Wats and monuments before we ended at the Golden Mount (have blogged about before) to get a good view of the city before the sun set.
On Saturday morning we got up early and joined another tour that took us an hour north of Bangkok to a city called Ayuttaya, which was once the capital of Thailand. There is a lot of history associated with the city as it endured many wars during the 15th - 17th centuries. The city is famous for the Khmer style Wats (similar to what I saw at Angkor Wat in Cambodia) and the ruins that now remain due to the wars in the country. Again we saw lots of Wats so I'll just give a quick overview of the day....
- Bang Pa In - This city is located between Bangkok and Ayuttaya and is known for the King's summer palace that was built in the 17th along the river. The European designed summer residence is surrounded by influences of Thai and Chinese culture on the royal grounds. We were able to walk through the beautiful parks early in the morning before the big tourist buses arrived. (pic 1)
- Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon - The Wat is famous for the 7 m reclining Buddha that was built in 1357. Although the large Buddha is impressive the smaller Buddha's that have been restored around the chedi is even more picturesque. (pic 2 and 3)
- Wat Mahathat - The Khmer style Wat was built in the 14th century and now has been taken over by forest trees and roots that have grown among the ruins of the structure. It makes for a spectular sight of man and nature. (pic 4)
- Wat Wihaan Mongkhon Bophit: The Wat is famous for the 15m bronzed Buddha, which one of Thailand's largest Buddha images, built in the 16th century.
- Wat Phra Si Sanphet - The Wat is comprised of three eloquent bell shaped chedi's that were also built in the 14th century. The chedi's were once covered by gold until they were melted down by the Burmese. (pic 6)
Sunday morning we enjoyed a nice leisurely morning in our pool at our hotel and then headed up to Chatuchak market which is the largest market in Bangkok and has goods for both tourists and Thai people. It is usually pretty crowded and gets warm quickly on a mid 90 degree day, but fun to explore if you are looking for "stuff." That night mom took me out for the first steak dinner I have eaten since coming to Thailand and then we went back to place to get her packed up so she could head to the airport :( (picture: Mom and me enjoying 30 baht ($1) Pad Thai at the market)
I am so thankful that my mom was able to come and visit me in Thailand. As much as I can try to explain through words and photos what life is like here you really need to see it first hand! Now she wants to visit me everywhere I go in the next 9 months....
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