Siam

March 21-22 & 29, 2018

I saw many beautiful Buddha statues in Asia, but this one in Bangkok was the most marvelous of them all. The 50-foot-high, 150-foot-long ‘Reclining Buddha,’ covered in gold leaf. Created in 1767, this is known as a curly-haired Buddha; the Thais model theirs after Indian nobility. Despite the hordes of people, this is still one of my favorite memories — and favorite photos — of my five-month sojourn.

‘DO NOT SIT HERE’ — unless you are Buddha. These plus many, many more — including one encrusted with emeralds — were within the extensive Wat Pho temple complex, which also happens to be the center for the Wat Pho Thai Traditional Medicine School and one of the country’s preeminent schools of Thai massage.

The next part of the Bangkok excursion was a tuk-tuk tour of downtown...

... with a stop at another, much smaller temple. It was very common to see Asians, especially women, use umbrellas to ward off the sun. Asian ladies do not want to tan.

Final Thai port of call, a week later: the tourist mecca of Phuket. Many of its distinctive ‘long tail’ fishing boats are powered by re-purposed auto engines.

We returned to Thailand several weeks later, after China, and visited Phucket, with its distinctive fishing boats.

A visit to the Wat Chalong temple complex...

... whose main temple has golden Buddhas on every floor.

Two views from within (you know me, I love window shots)...

Speaking of Asian ladies, they are always stylish! The woman on the right, with the selfie stick and cellulite, is no doubt a Western tourist.#

ORIGINAL POSTS

https://wordwrite.wixsite.com/passepartoutparttwo/single-post/2018/03/26/Pattaya-and-the-Sanctuary-of-Truth (an accidentally redacted version of the original post of my first stop in Thailand, Pattaya)

https://wordwrite.wixsite.com/passepartoutparttwo/single-post/2018/03/28/%E2%80%98Sawadee%E2%80%99-Mama-Toy

https://wordwrite.wixsite.com/passepartoutparttwo/single-post/2018/04/02/How-to-Pronounce-%E2%80%98Phuket%E2%80%99