Temple of Dawn and Royal Palace

The Temple of Dawn was completed in1769 by the king to recognize the expulsion of the Malays. It is covered in intricate Chinese porcelain mosaics of flowers.

The Royal Palace complex was constructed in 2 years by King Rama 1. The grounds have been extended to approximately one square mile. King Rama 10 laid in state here for 1 year after his death to allow the Thai people to pay their respects. Our guide waited from 8:00 p.m until 2:00 a.m. to walk past the casket. Her friend from Europe waited 3 days on the street to hold a spot for the funeral procession! All of the kings are revered but the most famous is King Rama 4 on whom The King and I was based. Also on the grounds is the Temple of the Jade Buddha which is a very small figure on top of an elaborate display. But more impressive was the Gold Buddha which is solid gold. It was covered in cement and sunk in the River to protect it from the Japanese during W.W. 2.

It being a Sat., the crowds were overwhelming and between that and the heat, we headed home to swim and sit by the pool after a delicious lunch of noodles.Read more