On Sunday we did our Bangkok Temple tour. The purpose of this tour was to gain a better understanding of Thai culture and their beliefs. It also provides ways of specifically praying for the Thai people.

To begin this tour we took a bus to get to the train station, the train to get to the boat, the boat to get to our first temple… And that was JUST to reach the first temple.

The first temple we visited was Wat Arun-Temple of the Dawn. Walking around Wat-Arun we were struck by the ornate and intricate architecture and the beautifully manicured grounds. There were many statues and Buddha’s where people would pray and give offerings of candles, incense sticks, and flowers.

Wat-Arun is known for its 79 meter pagoda. While our various modes of transportation may have at times seemed less than safe, climbing the narrow steps of the pagoda caused me to actually fear for my life for the first time on the trip. The pictures don’t capture the steepness of these steps, nor the height. Add to that many of us were wearing long skirts and flip flops. All I could think was I do not want to die at a Buddhist Temple! However, we all made it up and down safely and lived to continue the tour.

We left Wat Arun via another boat and went to Wat PO-Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The unique feature of Wat PO is the 46 meter reclining Buddha. As you enter the large hall with the Reclining Buddha you remove your shoes and are instantly greeted with the sound of tinkling. To earn merit people drop small coins (which are donations to the temple) into a row of bowls.

From Wat Arun we went to our last temple, Wat Saket-Temple of the Golden Mount. However, this time we did not take a boat, train or bus, we took a tuk tuk. A tuk tuk, as shown in the pictures below, is like a motorcycle attached to a cart. Once in the tuk tuk we weaved in and out of traffic and I was left to wonder how in the world we traveled so fast, so close to other moving objects and yet arrived without a single scratch. There were a few times, where even I was pushing my foot down for an imaginary brake. However, it was one of the favorite modes of transportation that we’ve taken so far.

At Wat Saket we walked 318 steps to the top of Bangkoks only hill. Wat Saket felt the least touristy as there were many people praying, bowing and offering incense and less people taking pictures and talking. We also had to remove our shoes to enter.

From Wat Saket we took another boat down a canal and then squeezed ourselves on a bus. When I say squeezed, I mean literally squeezed. The bus was packed so for the majority of the trip you simply grabbed the metal bar above you and held on.

We spent a little down time back at the base before packing up and taking a van down to Pattaya. My first impression of Pattaya is that it reminds me of a beach town (it is close to the beach so I guess this makes sense) and while it is still very Thai, it is a lot more touristy. In Pattaya we are staying a motel near the Tamar Center. The rest of our evening was spent unpacking, eating yet another delicious Thai meal and having a team meeting.

We are all so excited to be in Pattaya and ready to work with the Tamar Center.

Signing out for today,

Marisa