If there's one thing that still fascinates me about Asia, despite all the years I've been traveling and (occasionally) living in this part of the world, it's temples.
Aside from the fact that I've yet to memorise all the differences in technical terms, like stupa and pagoda, and that sometimes I forget to bring a sarong to cover up my legs when I forget to wear something long to go inside, I still find myself staring in moderate awe every time I see one.
I say 'moderate' because I've seen quite a few of them so far and the surprise element is partially gone, but I still love visiting and photographing them. I was about to say, "it's kind of like my love for pizza", but that would have been a lie. No matter how often I eat pizza, my taste buds will always welcome it with pure amazement and insatiable lust.
Anyway, back to temples...
The first country I ever visited here in Asia and that introduced me to temples was Thailand. Shocker, I know. But coming from Italy, an ancient land with more ruins than young people and so far behind modern times take-away coffee only became a thing a couple of years ago, the idea of setting foot in an Asian country almost felt as exciting as being part of a Discovery Channel documentary with Anthony Bourdain.
On the bus to my first ever hostel, I remember staring out the window and trying to catch a glimpse of every shiny and golden pointy structure I could see from the window. There were so many, I could barely process everything I was looking at. Not to mention the first time I entered one. You should have seen my face... No flies were accidentally ingested that day, but the chances of that happening were pretty high. Oh, and that one time I stumbled upon a group of singing monks during prayer time and got to sit behind them inside the temple and listen to them hum for minutes on end? There were a few other visitors behind me, but man, did I feel special! Almost as if I were taking part in a secret ceremony no other soul knew about.
Yes, I'm the kind of person that gets excited very easily about things (internally; I'm not one to go around screaming and shouting out of excitement), but I'm sure you'd be at least half as impressed and content as I was to see all those things for the first time.
The temple I've visited the most (3 times) in Bangkok is Wat Pho, also known as Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn (a few words for you to remember for your next Scrabble match!). Ever heard of the giant reclining Buddha? It's a 46m long golden statue resting inside one of the houses in the temple complex open for anyone to visit. The temple contains the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand and it's considered to be the birthplace of the famous Thai massage -- they give classes in the premises and you can even get one before ending your tour.
The entrance fee is only 50 Baht ($1.60) and it includes a bottle of water.
Wat Pho is only one of the many temples found in the old town of Bangkok, the main center of interest for worshippers and tourists alike (and backpackers -- Khao San Road, anyone?). There are plenty of them around, but you'll only ever see a few of them packed with curious foreigners on a daily basis.
Another well known temple in the area is Wat Arun (or Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan -- say it 10 times fast, now!). Located right across Wat Pho, on the other side of the river (which you can cross by local boat for cents), this temple is a beauty in the morning when the rising sun projects all its shiny rays on the structure's pearly white surface. Or so I've been told. The first time I ever got to see it complete and visit was last November. Not sure how long it lasted, but the latest renovation process took forever.
The entrance fee here is also 50 Baht. Cheap as chips. Actually, cheaper than that.
Wat Arun dates back to the seventeenth century, when it was named and looked differently, and when the capital of the Thai Kingdom was Ayutthaya (80km north of Bangkok). I wish I could go back in time to see the temple back in its early days... or that they at least had pictures from that time. I'm not asking for much here, am I?
I must say, I love Wat Pho better, mainly for the colours, but this structure is impressive nonetheless. The amount of details and the time and dedication it must have taken to bring them to life is unimaginable. If the temple could talk, I bet it'd have plenty of fascinating stories to tell.
Aside from these two temples, there's the Grand Palace, the most famous location in the area. It used to be the living grounds of the royal family for years, though now it's mainly used for royal ceremonies and official events. The palace also houses the Emerald Buddha, a 66cm tall statue of the sitting Buddha made of jade and covered in pure gold. It's the most sacred location in Thailand. Funnily enough, I've been told that the statue used to belong to Laos, until the Thai invaded Vientiane and took the statue with them. Don't know all the details, but it sounds intriguing. Should find out more about it!
Anyway, I've never been there. Unlike most of the temples in the old town, the entry fee for the Grand Palace is 500 Baht ($16!) and I can confidently tell you that I feel sufficiently satisfied by looking at it from afar through the entrance door and from above the surrounding walls. I could eat for two days with that money... food > everything else
So if you ever find yourself in Bangkok, I highly recommend you check out Wat Pho and Wat Arun. They're two great examples of ancient Asian architecture and they'll fulfil your needs as a tourist to see hottest spots in the city for very little money -- once you'll see these temples, you won't need to pay to see the others in the area. Better you save that money for some good ol' pad thai. Yum!.
Happy travels!
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