Heidi and Lee have always thought of Wat Phra Keo (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha) in Bangkok as epitomizing the definition of "Oriental Splendor" in all its gaudy excesses, gold leaf and jewels, mirror mosaics, and fanciful statuary. This morning we revisited this iconic spot and found our original assessment amply justified.
Moreover the rest of the world appears to have come to the same conclusion: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha clearly has become THE place to visit in Bangkok. The crowds of foreign visitors we encountered today, in fact, almost overwhelmed the place. Certainly the temple complex no longer retains the notion of religious serenity originally envisioned but rather emits a noisy cacophony of babble as explanations are delivered in multiple languages to large hordes of tourists crowded around their guides and Thai hosts.
Nonetheless one can still manage to escape the crowds and simply sit or stand in awe of the exquisite sense of design and detail that permeates the entire complex. We appreciated, too, the evidence of ongoing restoration and maintenance everywhere we ventured -- those admission changes are obviously being put to good use: the place looks stupendous, better than ever. Truly, there's still nothing like it anywhere else in the entire world!
We wandered about the place for nearly three hours, taking in the Grand Palace, too, as well as the newly opened Queen Sirikit Museum of Thai Textiles (its air-conditioned interior an especially welcomed relief from the high eighties found in the world outside).
Otherwise we continued simply to marvel at the lively modernity of this dynamic city evident everywhere around us, especially as visible from the riverside veranda of our highrise hotel on the banks of the Chao Phraya and in the immense new Siam Paragon shopping mall with its huge food court and 500 brand name speciality shops from around the world!
Early tomorrow morning, we're homeward bound, satiated at least for now but sure to be bitten again, sooner rather than later, by that persistent travel bug that happily has always haunted our life together.
Moreover the rest of the world appears to have come to the same conclusion: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha clearly has become THE place to visit in Bangkok. The crowds of foreign visitors we encountered today, in fact, almost overwhelmed the place. Certainly the temple complex no longer retains the notion of religious serenity originally envisioned but rather emits a noisy cacophony of babble as explanations are delivered in multiple languages to large hordes of tourists crowded around their guides and Thai hosts.
Nonetheless one can still manage to escape the crowds and simply sit or stand in awe of the exquisite sense of design and detail that permeates the entire complex. We appreciated, too, the evidence of ongoing restoration and maintenance everywhere we ventured -- those admission changes are obviously being put to good use: the place looks stupendous, better than ever. Truly, there's still nothing like it anywhere else in the entire world!
We wandered about the place for nearly three hours, taking in the Grand Palace, too, as well as the newly opened Queen Sirikit Museum of Thai Textiles (its air-conditioned interior an especially welcomed relief from the high eighties found in the world outside).
Otherwise we continued simply to marvel at the lively modernity of this dynamic city evident everywhere around us, especially as visible from the riverside veranda of our highrise hotel on the banks of the Chao Phraya and in the immense new Siam Paragon shopping mall with its huge food court and 500 brand name speciality shops from around the world!
No comments:
Post a Comment