the Grand finale: part 1.

A trip to Bangkok is not complete without a stop at the Grand Palace.  Iconic of Thailand, it was our final stop before the airport.  I'll try to let the pictures do most of the talking...

We took the skytrain down to the express boat pier to take us up the Chao Phraya River.  Here's a longtail boat that are plentiful.

The next two pictures disturb me.  I am disgusted by my own country's insatiable desire for things, for bigger and better, for more and more and more things.  I disgust myself that I am so comfortable living the life I lead.  

These homes on the river are not even the poorest of the poor in Thailand.  Stats from 2008 say the average American GDP was $46,900 while Thailand's was a mere $8,400 (which is obviously still much higher than many other countries).  ...and what's also saddening is that despite our wealthiness, debt is so infused into the fabric of American life, beginning at the top in govt.  Americans as a whole buy all the way into what media tells us is important for a great life.  Ugh.

What is important to you?  

To me, pursuing a relationship with Jesus is the most important (although there are plenty of daily distractions that make it difficult to prioritize).  I am also so grateful He has allowed me family and friends and the chance to wholeheartedly seek to store up lasting treasure in Heaven.  If only I would choose to do that each day...

(Okay, so I'm doing most of the talking so far, but those numbers have been eating away at me and I had to get that out in the open.  Think about it next time you think you need something.)

Wat Arun - The Temple of the Dawn

So food regulations are low in Thailand, but maybe that's why the food is so good!  They just throw a big pot (hopefully it's been cleaned since the day before) on a burner and start it simmering.  No sneeze guards.  No fancy equipment.  Just like momma's kitchen only outside on a dirty street.  Hungry?

I wish I remembered the name for this drink... it has long spaghetti-like straws of jelly-ishness floating in a dark liquid.  I wasn't brave enough.

Here we entered the Grand Palace compound.

I tried to get her to give a wai for the picture, but K captured me doing it instead while she looked at me like I'm crazy.  Maybe I was.  The heat was getting to me.

This is the highlight at the Grand Palace:  the Emerald Buddha.  I should have read the guide more closely because I was rather disappointed when I sweated it out to get in the building with hordes of people only to see a tiny little thing up on a very tall pedestal.  The buddha itself is only 60cm tall.

K took this one for the record books.  An "Al Gore bulb" at a palace originally opened in 1785.  

Thailand's "holy" sites have strict dress codes, so K had to put down a hefty deposit on those hammer pants.  Mind you, it was high 90s and I also had to cover my shoulders with a sweater.  Lovely.

Murals along many outdoor walkways tell stories of Thailand's history.  

Below shows the detail work on the tallest point of the picture above.  Each building is such a beautiful masterpiece, it's difficult to admire each one because there are too many in one compact area.

Total tourist.  

I was trying to find somewhere decent to eat lunch, to no avail.  Our next stop was literally right around the corner at Wat Po.  I'll make it a separate post to break up the photos, but then I'm done documenting our trip!  There are still a few more things I would like to share about our time in Thailand and what's been on my mind since.  

If you have made it this far and have questions I might answer in the near future, send them to me or comment on this post!  Anything is game.  

Blessings, angela