Wat Arun, Bangkok

Next up on our agenda was to visit Wat Arun temple, which had to be reached through a short ferry ride from the jetty. After grabbing a quick bite to eat outside Wat Pho we made our way down the road toward the Jetty.. All along the way there are hawkers selling everything from fresh fruits, fruit juices and there was a row of shops selling souvenirs of all kinds - magnets, bookmarks, caps, bags, key chains and much more.. It was a riot of colours. You buy the ticket for the Ferry which is 3Baht per ride per person and made your way down the wobbly path to the boat. 

A boat arrives, we jump in, find a spot to sit and get set for the short ride across. The Wat Arun Temple looms large across the river against the blue skies. 

Wat Arun, locally known as Wat Chaeng, is situated on the west (Thonburi) bank of the Chao Phraya River. It is easily one of the most stunning temples in Bangkok, not only because of its riverside location, but also because the design is very different to the other temples you can visit in Bangkok. Wat Arun (also called the temple of the dawn) is partly made up of colourfully decorated spires and stands majestically over the water. The spire (prang) on the bank of Chao Phraya River is one of Bangkok's world-famous landmarks. It has an imposing spire over 70 metres high, beautifully decorated with tiny pieces of coloured glass and Chinese porcelain placed delicately into intricate patterns.

You do need to pick up a pass to enter the temple campus, it costs 100 baht. If you are not wearing the right kind of attire [ hands and legs covered for girls, then you can hire a sarong or shirt for a small deposit] The temple is open daily from 08:30 to 17:30 and the last boat ride I think is at 6pm.

We said a quick prayer before entering the temple premises. the steps leading to the top towers are quite steep, to say the least. I managed to climb up two flights but the third was tricky, almost vertical.. and it was super crowded, so taking your own time getting up was out of the question. The view from the 2nd was breathtaking, you can see the entire river winding around and Wat Pho as well. Apparently, if you go all the way up you can see Grand Palace as well. 

History

Wat Arun was envisioned by King Taksin in 1768. It is believed that after fighting his way out of Ayutthaya, which was taken over by a Burmese army at the time, he arrived at this temple just as dawn was breaking. He later had the temple renovated and renamed it Wat Chaeng, the Temple of the Dawn. It used to be the home of the Emerald Buddha, before the capital and Palace was moved to the other side of the river. This can now be seen at the Grand Palace.

The central prang was extended during the reign of Rama III (between 1824 and 1851), and is now one of the most visited sites in Thailand. It was also Rama III who added the decoration of the spires with porcelain, so that they glimmer in the sunshine.

We spent a good hour or hour and a half here and made our way back to the jetty to catch the boat. It was one memorable day indeed. The only place was the Grand Palace, which we set aside for another day! 

Attire that is available for hire, wear and take a picture :) 

Stay tuned for more... 

Jim Thompson's house, Bangkok

When I was planning my Bangkok trip, as always I did do a bit of research and one of the places that cropped up in almost all the sites was a visit to Jim Thompson's house. A friend of mine who had been to Bangkok earlier also recommended the place. 

So one afternoon, we hopped on the BTS, and headed towards the House. [We are staying at Sukumwit 11, and so from there we had to take the sky train to Siam BTS, get off from the Sukhumvit Line train, search for National Stadium sign and get into the Silom Line Train the platform. In National Stadium (W1), take the exit 1, walk on, then you'll see the house at about 200 meters from the main road.] 

It is located down a narrow lane that ends with a view of the canal. We saw quite a few boats speed by while we had lunch at the restaurant inside the Jim Thompson house, which is more of a museum of his works and life. 

I bought a ticket for 100Baht [friend decided to sit this out] and signed up for the next available tour [ 40mins is the duration of the tour]. The place is filled with Thai structures that Jim Thompson, an American businessman collected from all parts of Thailand during the 1950s and 1960s. While he was building his silk company, he also became a major collector of Southeast Asian art, which at the time was not well-known internationally. He built a large collection of Buddhist and secular art not only from Thailand but from Burma, Cambodia, and Laos, frequently travelling to those countries on buying trips. It was in 1958 that he began to put together a home to showcase his art collection. Formed from parts of six antique Thai houses, his home (completed in 1959) sits on a klong (canal) across from Bangkrua, where his weavers were then located. Most of the 19th-century houses were dismantled and moved from Ayutthaya, but the largest, a weaver's house (now the living room), came from Bangkrua. 

You walk along a beautifully done up garden to explore the various buildings, see the fine art pieces and to get a glimpse of what his life was like. And when you are done, you can also check out the store near the restaurant where a few products are available for sale [ beautiful but pricey]. And then there is the small art performance done by two women just outside the store. They are so elegant and graceful, was quite a sight to watch. 

And when you are done, there is a small shuttle of sorts that will drop you off at the main road which is within walking distance from the station. 

Update: Read this article and thought I should share it here- Read this next The Case of the Missing Thai Silk King Flashback The Case of the Missing Thai Silk King Much more