The religion in Bangkok, and probably all of Thailand, is around 93-95% Buddhist. Buddha is everywhere! There are beautifully crafted temples that are hundreds of years old... And the city has slowly crowded it's way around the temples so that they are boxed in on every side by modern buildings and fast paced roads. I find it quite odd that these devoutly religious people are using their holy places as tourist attractions to make money. I honestly don't see how charging entrance fees to a temple fit in with the type of lifestyle Buddhists are supposed to live.
We visited a few of the main temples; Wat Pho, the temple of the reclining Buddha, and Sukhothai. In the outer cloister of Wat Pho, there are over 128 statues of Buddha. A few are in the process of being restored, which if you know me, you'll know that interested me far more than people bowing to Buddha. On the base of each statue, there are thousands of glass pieces that are cut and fit into different patterns. Each piece is hand cut, and placed in a specific spot to create these beautiful works of art.
After seeing some of the temples and part of the downtown area, we went to the mall (that's right, I went to a mall). The mall here is set up as what we would consider an indoor flea market in Alabama. Each "stall" had its own vendor, so you could find the same thing for a different price if you looked hard enough. I bought some pants that you'll see in pictures over the next few weeks. They're typical dress for this culture, and are made to help out with the heat!
In Bangkok, the city train system runs in the "sky" above the main roadways. They refer to it as the sky train. I've seen a lot of people utilizing the system, but I'm constantly flabbergasted at the number of people on mopeds and motorcycles. At any given red light, 30 mopeds will have woven through cars to get to the front of the line by the time the light turns green. As soon as the green light hits, they take off. They are used for personal use, but there are also a lot used as cabs. There are always a crowd of mopeds waiting for someone to need a ride... I've seen young children on the backs, women holding infants, people with their dogs... Anyone and everyone will hop on the back of the moped and take off!
I'm 12 hours ahead of you all in Alabama... My today is ending, as your "tomorrow" is beginning. Enjoy your day... I hope you can find something new that excites you, and that you make every moment count.
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