Land of Ong Bak Day 5 - Grand Palace & Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Bangkok

Assalamualaikum. สวัสดี!

Previous post Wat Pho. 

Next destination is the highlight in our must-visit list. But the excitement went a bit faded due to the extreme hot weather. Accuweather app in the phone showed the current temperature was 39'C! Angin bayu membawa diriku pun bertiup tiada.

The price we had to pay for the cheap flight tickets. Terpaksarela bertabah berjalan di bulan panas-paling-maksimum di Thailand. Did u know Thailand has summer, winter & rainy seasons? Aku sudah sampai Thailand baru tau fakta tu, sekian.

3 July 2014

Bangkok

# That lady in red needed to walked very very fast in order to run away from the raging sun!

# Rules. 

When it comes to rules regarding the outfits, I have pretty high respect for Ms G. She totally rock it when it comes to obeying the law. She wore a sleeveless dress when we left the hotel that day but she broung along a jacket which she kept in her bag. Masuk temple baru sarung jaket. Nampak kan the effort? She 'studied' the dress code prior the trip. Clap clap! 

# Stone passage at the Outer Court to the main entrance of the Middle Court

# View of Wat Phra Kaew complex from the sidewalk leading to the Grand Palace

# First we saw upon entering the complex

# Phra Sri Rattana Chedi (left) & Phra Mondop; the library (right).

# Monument to Rama IV in front of the library. Found this aplenty inside the complex.

# This is literally a hint to us both! Insha Allah this is the next destination with the girls! Woohoo!

Why suddenly ada model Angkor Wat at this complex? Dulu kala kununnya King Mongkut (Thai) ordered his general to dismantle Angkor Wat & bring it back to Bangkok. Like, seriously? Semata mau tunjuk Cambodia is still under the control of Thailand. But the plan didn't work as many Thai men fell sick immediately after entering Cambodia. Hence King Mongkut ordered the construction of the model at Phra Kaew. Tapi kesian juga because he died before the construction completed. Semata mau tunjuk kuasa...ada hati untuk 'buka' the original Angkor Wat?

# Ubosot & The Emerald of Buddha building

# Kinnon; mythological creature believe to be half man & half bird.

# This is where the Emerald Buddha Status is enshrined. No picture is allowed inside the Wat. And it is said that only the King is allowed to touch the statue.

# Intricate decoration on the walls & pillars at the most sacred temple in Thailand.

# The two identical creatures behind moi are known as Garuda & Nagas. Outside the Ubosot.

# One of the two golden chedis. Siap ada guardian (different expressions) encircling it.

# Detailed drawings of how life looks like up there (heaven). According to the Buddhist.

We didn't stay long at the Wat Phra Kaew complex. But kami sempat berehat & recharge tenaga lepas keluar dari building yang simpan Emerald Buddha tu. And then we continued our journey. Kalau ikut map yang kami dapat masa beli tiket tu, complex ni memang super luas. Means banyak lagi perlu dijelajah. Gitu kan semangat.

# Chakri Maha Prast completed in 1882

Spot the soldiers of Royal Guards standing in front of the entrance of this building. Tegak ok! Yang ni pun fashion Royal Guards di Buckmingham. Standing up straight, serious expression. Posing lah kau macamana pun next to them, they will remain kaku. Ala statue gitu.

# Dalam ni ada pamer weapons & equipment yang diorang guna untuk perang. Keris pun ada.

# Landscape view of the Masat Phrasat 

# Phra Thinan Aphorn Phimok Phrasat 

Robing pavilion used by the King to change his regalia when entering the Masat Phrasat premises.

# Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat

Fuh nama building semua dasyat-prasat. Masa kami di sini. banyak building dalam fasa pemuliharaan & pembaikan. Kami masuk bangunan ni juga, mainly untuk lari dari panas mentari. Aku confirm boleh pengsan kalau berdiri lama di bawah sinaran matahari haritu.

# The most important of the Maha Monthien buildings. 

This is where the King welcomed foreign ambassadors. It is also a place where important businesses & ceremonies are held. 

Pas sini, kami masuk few more buildings. Ada satu building ni, exhibit alatan guna untuk farming dari zaman dulu kala. Sebab aku ndak larat, aku cuma mampu ronda the first floor & let Ms G covered the second floor by herself. Aku duduk ambil nafas dekat pintu masuk. Tahap gaban punya penat! Nasib coti. Sungguh bertabah!

We also entered Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles. Dapatlah tengok segala macam baju-bajan & aksesori Queen Sirikit guna dari zaman dia mudamudi (serius cun melecun!) sampai zaman sekarang. She contributed loads to textiles business in Thailand. And she also helped Thai women from the rural area to do business. Jual hasil kraftangan diorang. Siap sampai international market gitu. Mulia sungguh hati sang Queen.

# Our last boat ride across the Chao Phraya river

Ada few buildings we purposely skipped to enter. Perut sudah bergurindam bermacam jenis lagu. Minta diisi. Ms G bought her lunch at the pier before we headed back to Central Pier. From Central Pier we walked back to Saphan Taksin BTS station. 

# Mister Donut Hello Kitty donut version. Yumms!

Before going back to the hotel, we went to Yana Restaurant at MBK Mall Level 5 to buy my lunch. Sempat singgah beli donut di Mister Donut. Ndak tahan ok almost everyday nampak iklan donut Hello Kitty ever since we arrived Bangkok the other day. Ada dessert, maka harus lah luncheon aku adalah heaven!

Lepas makan, kami rehatkan perut. Malam tu ada aktiviti lain. Last night in Bangkok katanya.

Grand Palace & Temple of Emerald Buddha, Bangkok

Open: 0830am - 0530pm

Entrance Fee: 500 Baht (with free admission to the Queen's Wooden Palace)

Direction via Express Boat: Alight at N9 Pier (Ta Chang). Walk through the market around the pier. Long white wall of the Grand Palace is just across the street. 

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