On Monday after the visit from Mandy and Galen, our entire group went on our last field trip together. The University where we are staying had arranged a special tour of the Grand Palace, the historical and ceremonial home of the monarchy (i.e., the Chakri Dynasty of Thailand, namely Kings Rama I through Rama IX). It was beastly hot. But we endured through the incredible palace grounds. It is actually an interesting mix of traditional Thai architecture, ceremonial opulence, and European influence. Some of the coolest things were the King’s thrones, the King’s elephant mount (i.e., an ornate carriage fitted to the back of the Royal elephant for processions), and the royal portraits of past and present kings and queens.
Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho are the two famous royal temples near the Palace. One houses the “Emerald Buddha” carved from a large single ingot of Jade. The other houses the “Reclining Buddha” which relaxes over about 50 yards and includes feet the size of a man. Both were very cool. Both temples have a series of incredible wall murals depicting the life and times of Buddha as well as scenes from the creation mythology and from Thai history. The murals rival the amazing artwork in Italian cathedrals. And, oh, there are lots of other Buddha statues and opportunities to bless oneself or others (with lotus flowers and holy water, for example). Max loved the giant ogre warrior statues that guard all of the temple entrances. Dan and Anna felt like giants in front of the scale replica of Angkor Wat, the ancient ruined temple/city in Cambodia. Kim really dug getting to wear borrowed Thai clothes to go in to see the King’s private gallery and dining hall. Ginger tried to follow all of the stories on the wall murals. We all perspired greatly, but we felt the touch of history and the power of worship as we regretted not bringing another memory card for our digital cameras.
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