วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลาราม ราชวรมหาวิหาร

Bangkok offers quite a few places of interest but if you are limited in time, as we were, there really are two or three things not to be missed. The Royal Palace, the Market, and the reclining buddha temple (Wat Pho or วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลาราม ราชวรมหาวิหาร in Thai). Wat Pho is the largest and oldest wat in Bangkok and is home to more than one thousand Buddha images, as well as the largest Reclining Buddha in the world which is forty-six metres long and fifteen metres high, decorated with gold plating on his body and mother of pearl on his eyes and the soles of his feet.

Wat Phra Kaew

Bangkok truly is a good surprise. I was strangely not expecting much from this city but some of the sights I visited today just took my breath away!

We first started by a ride on the Skytrain and continued on a ferry up the Chao Praya River to Tha Chang. The cruise itself was interesting but the view of the temples on each sides of the bank only was an appetizer for what was to come once at the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha). The buildings themselves are enough to amaze you. Every corner offers a new sight. After taking the general view of golden stuppas, chedis and colourful and decorative rooftops you start deciphering smaller details. And it goes on and on. What about those extensive galleries? This sight really has to be seen to be believed.

The other mindblowing experience is the Chatuchak market. That has to be the most amazing market I have seen in my life so far. I am sure we did not even cover a 10th of its surface. We concentrated on the antiques, pets and clothing sections. But there are so many more articles and food items on display. A feast for all the senses.

Tsunami

Flashback. On the 26th of December 2004 the world woke up in shock to the horror of the devastating Tsunami that took place in that part of the world. The most affected areas happened to be Phuket and Phi Phi which I just left. 3 years onward most traces of the tsunami have disappeared but the damage it created is still obvious in a few places like the headless palm trees you can see in the above right picture.

Seaplane

If we had some amazing views from the seaplane on our way to Phi Phi it was pretty amazing to land today, on Christmas day, on Patong beach in Phuket. For whatever reason the pilot did not dock at the Jetty but dropped us right on the beach meters away from all the holiday makers enjoying their Christmas sunbath.

Sunset

Definitely not the best sunset I have witnessed (I remember my most amazing sunset to be at Makassar on Sulawesi Island and Dubai also had some pretty amazing skies) but a very special one as it is Christmas Eve. Far away from the crowds. Far away from the cold European weather. Far away from everything except the beauty of the nature.

Phi Phi Island

After Phuket we took a seaplane to the more relaxed island of Ko Phi Phi Don. We are staying in a resort on the North of the island but trekked all the way down to Tonsai Bay which really was another world. Very surprised to see these very young bare-chested and party animal. It could have been Ibiza! On the way we had a swim in amazing waters on the deserted beach you can see on the left hand side of today’s picture. Paradise.

Phang Nga

Apart from an incredibly long wait to clear immigration at Phuket Airport, the area does not seem to be overcrowded as much as I feared by hordes of tourists. I chartered a small boat from Tha Dan and off we went cruising along the wonderful rock formations doting the Phang Nga bay. The picture above is the famous Ko Phing Kan known as the James Bond island (The Man with the Golden Gun).

Holidays

Ah! Holidays... One of the sweetest words in the world. I always have some plans for some forthcoming holidays. It is vital. Without any holiday plans there is no point in working and maybe no point in life! That's what keeps me going. The next side / leisure trip is in a month time. I did not feel like staying at home for Christmas so we will take a plane and find ourselves in between Phuket and Phi Phi Islands. In the meantime, I keep my reading and my websurfing busy planning holidays ahead ;-)