Here we are again. Today we travelled 300 km through curvy mountain roads. Hail to the driver 🙂 We ate a very cheap lunch in Sukhotai (Pad Thai for PLN 4:)) and then we visited a local temple complex. Now it’s midnight, we’re in Chiang Mai in the north and we’re going to sleep. But there’s still Bangkok left – touristic zone and two restaurants worth visiting.
After familiarising with Bangkok and finally winning the fight with jet lag (3 pm is not the best time to go sightseeing), on Tuesday we decided to check every step of the touristic route. The temples and palaces turned out to be truly marvellous with warriors’ and animals’ statutes, which Maks loved from the first sight.
two cats… or maybe three
We started sightseeing in Wat Po, with The Temple of Reclining Buddha which was by far my favourite. Wat Po is situated in the old king’s town – Rattanakosin. Why did I like it the most?
reclining Buddha that fills the whole temple
The statue of reclining Buddha who lies on his side waiting for nirvana is huge. It’s 46 m long and 15 m high. I read this in the guide but it was really impressive to see it ‘live’. The statue fills the whole chapel! There’s also a lot of marvellous figures and fantastic chedi (stupas) – the simplest Buddhist sacral buildings.
hermits
magical
my favourites — warriors
When you’re in Wat Pho, you should really see the Grand Palace and the Temple of Emerald Buddha. Warning No. 1: It’s only open until 3:30 pm so around 11 it’s swarmed with tourists. Moving around (especially with a pram) is almost impossible, let alone taking pictures. Warning No. 2: you won’t enter wearing a sleeveless shirt, short blouse, shorts (men also), leggings or tight trousers. Torn jeans are also a no-no. If you don’t want to waste your time waiting to buy some “elegant” clothing, prepare yourself. Łukasz waited quite a while, but he forgot about me so we had to buy a colourful “Thailand” souvenir T-shirt with elephants on it.
The Emerald Buddha is nothing compared to the reclining one. The statue is small – only around 1 meter long. What’s interesting he’s dressed according to the current season. Unfortunately I was so tired because of the heat and walking with the pram that I didn’t notice what he was wearing at the time. Apart from the hordes of tourists, the place is just perfect and the viewa are truly amazing.
more marvellous statues
sightseeing in scorching heat (40 degrees)…
palaces
Due to touristic madness in places such as Wat Pho or the Grand Palaca, it’s a good idea to visit some of the less popular Bangkok attractions, which may be not that impressive but at least spared by tourists, and with their own vibe ant atmosphere. We visited Wat Suthat and Loha Prasad.
empty Wat Suthat just before closing
Loha Prasad
After sightseeing you need to eat. On the last day in Bangkok we decided to visit places recommended by friends more experienced than us.
We chose Harmonique in Charoen Krung Soi 34 for lunch. It was situated in an old merchant Thai apartment house. We ordered a Pad Thai served in a very interesting way and some spring rolls for starters.
starters for two – we didn’t manage to identify them all 😉
duck, crab meat and oranges — totally exotic
Pad Thai in Bangkok got us a bit confused. Accustomed to Suparom Thai Food, Thai Thai or Thai Wok we expected pasta with some additions and an egg. In MonSoon we got a Pad Thai served in an open omelette whilst in Harmonique it was served in a small egg-made pouch.
mysterious omelette pouch with a superb Pad Thai inside
For dinner we went to Seafood Market & Restautant Sukhumwit Soi 24 and got a bit crazy. It’s an amazing place and surely a must for all seafood lovers. Their motto is If it swims, we have it!
the neon sign is visible from far away
Seafood Market Restaurant is an amazing place. You enter a giant hall (1500 seats). It looks like a big canteen with fish hanging from the ceiling and shopping carts and stands like in a supermarket. A visitor looking for seafood and fish walks around the stands followed by a nice lady with a cart being filled with all the captured delicacies.
shop assistants always ready to help you 🙂
Apart from seafood you can also try something from a veggie stand. It’s a bit like choosing ingredients in the Master Chef TV show:). We, however stuck to seafood. After your hunt, you pay for what you bought. Then a guy comes to your table and you decide how you want the food prepared.
The guys are working… You wait drinking a beer…
an army of chefs
And then you feast.
rock lobster baked with cheese
fried oysters
lobster shrimps shrimps
Filled up, we left Bangkok on Wednesday morning and went to the airport. Then we travelled to Ayutthaya, Sukhothai and Chiang Mai, where we are now. We’re planning to stay here for a while. Tbc 🙂
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