Reached the Bangkok airport at 2 AM & I was starving of course! Not sure if it was the urgency to try something local right that minute, or the fact that I stood in the Visa queue for about 2 hours that made me crave something truly Thai. A little secret: In the arrival wing of the airport, all the way in a little corner at the basement (in the same level as where you get your taxi to head out) is a food court which resembles a sane version of the street food you would find in Bangkok city. Pictured here is rice, sweet chilli sauce, roast chicken, fried chicken & this beautiful simple chicken broth flavoured with just garlic & scallions. Meal #1 in Bangkok has made me very happy!
The landscape of the city is a wonderful mix of canals with long boats, tall buildings, broad roads lined with lush green trees & traditional Thai monuments with golden spires reaching for the sky.
First stop is Wat Arun, also known as The Temple of Dawn, called so because after fighting his way out of Ayutthaya-captured by the Burmese army at the time, King Taksin arrived at this temple just before dawn was breaking. It is beautifully decorated with tiny pieces of coloured glass & Chinese porcelein placed delicately into intricate patterns.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha & the Grand Palace. These two monuments showcase Thai architecture, royalty & design at the highest level. With grand structures painted in gold, jewelled pillars & well manicured gardens, I couldn't take my eyes off of it.
This was the Giant Sleeping Buddha that is 46 metres long & covered in gold leaf. It was so calming to stand back and observe the peace & grandeur that emanated from this particular statue.
91 stupas decorated in ceramic pottery flowers & colourful tiles in the Wat Pho temple grounds
Wandering around the courtyards of Wat Pho,which houses the reclining Buddha, was a quiet & relaxing experience with long lines of golden Buddha statues from different parts of Thailand sitting in the Lotus pose. I also came across some comical looking Chinese statues that were once used as ballasts on ships. The only consoloation here is that I’m taller than him ;)