Wat Lokaya Sutha

Our last stop was at the reclining Buddha. This ancient statue inspired Rama III centuries later to build the gold one in Wat Pho in Bangkok. Our guide gave a summary of Buddhist teaching indicating that most Thais are Theravada Buddhists (vs Mahayana).

We had a basic lunch at a road side restaurant and then drove back to busy Bangkok where we were let off at the MBK mall. Cash is King in Thailand and we had to get another withdrawal to pay for a dinner of KFC to supplement our largely carbohydrate meal at the restaurant, then a Grab back to the hotel.

FINAL MUSINGS ON BANGKOK
Leaving the upper end comforts of our JAL flight into the heat, congestion and traffic of Bangkok was indeed culture shock for Nancy; Doug being more acclimatized from his trip to the Middle East. We enjoyed the neighborhood and found the Saran Poshtel modern and of good value with an excellent breakfast. The only downside was its lack of connection to rapid transit but this is soon to change as an underground station is being built very close by and we found it easy to access the Chao Phraya River Tourist Boat which we'd highly recommend for sights close to the river. It is not an easy life for many families; the vendors who line the hot streets now congested with the smell of exhaust and smog decreasing the QoL for many. For those who can afford them, cars were surprisingly large and also rarely of vintage model. Grabs were surprisingly cheap given the cost of the cars and fuel and we wondered how much the drivers actually make. The contrast between street life and the mega shopping centers and advertisements for Korean facial masks on the transit line was vexing to Nancy; such will be the state of affairs Doug advises for SE Asia aside from Singapore.Read more