Bangkok, Thailand. Day 1

We visited Bangkok in 2017.
Today, we arrived at 2:00pm, but the ship was cleared by 2:30pm.
We met our guide Air who Erin and Mui used in 2017.
We got into a fancy comfortable van and drove to our first stop: Golden Buddha.

The Golden Buddha, with a weight of 5.5 tonnes (5,500 kilograms). It is located in the temple of Wat Traimit, Bangkok. At one point in its history the statue was covered with a layer of stucco and coloured glass to conceal its true value, and it remained in this condition for almost 200 years, ending up as what was then a pagoda of minor significance. During relocation of the statue in 1955, the plaster was chipped off and the gold revealed.

The origins of this statue are uncertain. It is made in 13th–14th centuries. The head of the statue is egg-shaped, which indicated it was made in India.

In the 1950th, a new building was built at the temple to house the statue. It was moved to its new location in 1955; during the final attempt to lift the statue from its pedestal, the ropes broke and the statue fell hard on the ground. At that moment, some of the plaster coating chipped off, allowing the gold surface underneath to be seen. Work was immediately stopped.
When all the plaster was removed, it was found that the gold statue actually consisted of nine parts that fit smoothly together. A key was also found encased in plaster at its base, which can be used to disassemble the statue, allowing for easier transportation.

In 2010, a large new building was inaugurated at the Wat Traimit Temple to house the Gold Buddha.

Not far away we stopped at the beautiful Chinese temple and then walked through China town with a busy market.

Our last stop before dinner was Wat Arun (aka Temple of dawn), one of the most iconic and beautiful temples in Thailand located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The temple is famous for its magnificent 79-meter-high central spire/prang which has a unique design and a Khmer style craftsmanship.

And finally, our last stop…dinner at Royal Thai Navy Dinner Club. Beautiful setting overlooking river, sunset and relishes food.
After dinner our friends decided to walk the city and visit night marker, but Boris was tired, so we went back to ship.
Tomorrow is another busy day with the start time at 6:50am.Read more