Sawasdee ka ^^
June 2016 marks my first visit to Bangkok;
so, we’ve chosen to tour around city area first. Thanks to my buddy, Chelle
whom booked through Air BnB, which had good reviews, nice photos, helpful host
and most importantly, was 5-10 minutes walk from Mrt station. Phra Ram 9 is the
main station where we can easily grab the train from one place to other besides located near to shopping malls (Central Plaza & Fortune), supermarkets (Tesco) &
7-11 which are very practical for us to stay nearby there #^.^# Plus point is
that the landlord was a young cute chap（*^＠^*）and comes to
greet us besides provide us with afew handy tips for us to tour around.
Here's our sneak peek of our living place:-
Aspire Rama 9 has one bedroom
& one bathroom and the room had a clean, cozy modern feel. Alex made a
great host, gave information you needed to travel around. We had the luxury of modern
kitchen appliances, TV, media box, hair dryer, essential toiletries & most
importantly free high speed wifi. The first thing we did after settling down
was to hunt for food!! We were brought to nearby mall, Central Plaza where we
ordered our first meal of the day. We had MBK Steamboat and my personal
favourite being the Roasted Duck and Crispy Pork with concocting sauces! :) Luv’
the duck there and our hearty lunch only costs 200Baht per person which makes
MK steamboat worth every cent and while blogging, I start to crave for their
steamboat again *yummy*
Took a picture with our host,
Alex before heading to our next destination.
It’s time for a light walk after
a filling lunch, so, we’ve made a conscious decision to explore the many
temples in Bangkok. But, before that, we can’t resist to take a candid shot of
Chelle’s back with her WoW power walking O.o
Wait for us….
For a first time visit, we opt
for Wat Pho, being one of the Bangkok's oldest temple and it existed before
Bangkok was established as the capital by King Rama. The name of Wat Pho refers
the monastery of the Bodhi tree inn Bodh Gaya, India where Buddha is believed
to have attained enlightenment. The complex stretches over eight hectares and
makes a great place to wander at your leisure.
After reading much review online,
we prefer to ride in the Tourist Boat. There is however, not much difference
with the local boats except that there is a tour guide who talks about Bangkok
attractions and landmarks during the ride and more empty spaces to sit
(Cheaper, of course). On our way back, we travel like the locals and stand all
the way back but with cheaper fares! On our way, we spotted some picturesque
landmarks and some of the international hotels along the way. We stopped at Tha
Tien Pier and from the pier, it was a short walk through the market to Wat Pho.
Try our tastebud on the popular Coconut Ice Cream with nuts toppings
#^.^#
Upon reaching Wat Pho temple, we
were amazed by the intricate details of the ornate temple roof. Instinctively,
we started to click away with the beautiful stupas. Entrance ticket to Wat Pho
is 100Baht which includes a bottle of water. Just to note on the opening hours
as the temple opening hours are from 8am – 5pm. If you want to do your massage
here, there’s an extra hour to spend time on after exploring the place.
Embark into a spiritual journey
The temple houses the largest
collection of Buddha images in Thailand, including a 46m long Reclining Buddha.
The temple is also the earliest centre for public education in Thailand, and
still houses a school of Thai medicine. It is known as the birthplace of traditional
Thai massage which is still taught and practiced at the temple.
The gold encrusted deco. Wonder
how much of gold plates they’ve spent on.
There are 108 bronze bowls in the corridor representing the 108 auspicious characters of Buddha. Visitors may drop coins (Which you can purchase at the entrance of the hall) in these bowls as it is believed to bring good fortune, besides serves as contribution to maintain the temple.
The Reclining Buddha has his
right arm supporting his head, and his neck being supported by two blue
box-pillows which were encrusted with glass mosaics.
Phra Chedi Rai which contains the ashes of the royal family members.
Interior of the “ubosot” (Prayer’s
room) of Wat Pho
After
strolling along the street, we were led to a nearby coffee shop, with a
ramshackle wooden kitchen to have a quick and light dinner. The place serves
authentic Thai food at a reasonable price and they even had boat noodles!~
Lastly, we had a supper on our way back to our apartment @7-11.
Truly impressed by the assortments of ready meals offered there ranging from
pork rice & burger to noodle soup and we only need to hand the food to the
counter for reheating. How I wish if Malaysia’s 7-E enjoyed the same benefits
as well. As the food taste good, us, being cheapskates started to grab our Day
2 breakfast (Ham & Cheese croissant) there as well. My stomach started to growl when i think of my tomato-ish spaghetti *Slurppppssss*
Ok, that’s all for a tiring but fun Day 1 (❁´◡`❁)*✲ﾟ*
sassycat
