vi warkentin travel photography

Some of my favorite moments were found at Wat Yai Chaimongkhon, Thailand. A place for quiet meditation - a gorgeous place to stroll through. These beautiful temple flowers (plumeria) have the most amazing fragrance ever.

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One of my favorite photos taken while in Thailand - a visit to Wat Niwet Thamprawat

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From Bang Pa-In Summer Palace we took a motorized cable car over the Chao Phraya River to visit a gothic-inspired wat. The car holds up to eight passengers and the fare is by donation. By the way, if you find this wat, you’re one of the few tourists that actually visit - finding the cable car to get across the river is half the fun - it’s hidden behind the parking lot used for Bang Pa-In Palace visitors.

(sorry, video does not have audio) 

Wat Niwet Thamprawat, ordered built by King Rama V in 1878 according to the architectural style of a western cathedral, is an operating Buddhist temple that definitely looks more like a church than a wat. Stained glass windows and an elegant ceiling definitely gives this wat a ‘church’ feel! 

It’s not every day that I get to stroll the grounds of a royal palace.

In the Bang Pa-In district in the Ayutthaya Province 60 kms north of Bangkok is the gorgeous royal palace called Bang Pa-In Royal Palace. This palace complex is also known as the Summer Palace - formerly used by the Thai Kings.

Although construction originally began in the early 1600’s, it was abandoned until restoration began in the mid 1800’s.  Most of the present buildings on the palace grounds were built in the late 1800’s. The current royal family occasionally uses this palace for special occasions. The Versaillesque gardens are kept in immaculate condition with many European-style buildings on the complex grounds.

Exhibition Hall (Saphakhan Ratchaprayun) in the background - currently used as a museum.

Divine Seat of Personal Freedom (Aisawan Thiphya-At) sits in the middle of a lake on the palace grounds with Tevaraj-Kanlai Gate to the right. 

Divine Seat of Personal Freedom (Aisawan Thiphya-At) - the only Thai-style structure on the grounds.

Sages’ Lookout (Ho Withun Thasana) with Heavenly Light (Wehart Chamrun) - the Chinese-style royal residence in the background.

During our visit to Bangkok, we visited this place (many times) called Bua Restaurant - because we loved the food there and I especially loved their Green Mango Salad. I couldn’t get enough of it - I’ve since been scouring the internet to see if I can find a recipe that may come close to what this amazing tangy salad was like. Crunchy, tangy, spicy - if ever in Bangkok, try Bua’s Green Mango Salad!

Bua Restaurant, 1/4 Siboonreang Building, is located on Convent Road just off of Silom near Lumpini Park in Bangkok. It’s been around for over 20 years serving authentic Thai favorites using the freshest of produce and meats. A great way to end a meal here is to enjoy the Mango with Sticky Rice. Yum.

In Bangkok’s Chinatown is Wat Traimit which is home to the world’s largest solid gold Buddha – weighing in at over 5 tons.

This solid gold Buddha has a very interesting history.

It was cast sometime in the 13^th century and at some point after that, it was encased in plaster so that invaders or thieves would not steal the valuable Buddha. It would appear that over the years, what lay beneath the plaster was all but forgotten.

When Bangkok was established as the new capital of Thailand, King Rama lll had this Buddha among other Buddhas moved to Bangkok from the Ayutthaya region. This plaster Buddha was housed in a temple along the Chao Praya River which eventually fell into disrepair and was abandoned in the 1930’s. Then in the late 1950’s, it was decided to have this plaster Buddha moved to a new home at Wat Traimit and it was at this time that, while lifting the Buddha, a moving cable snapped and the Buddha plummeted to the earth below cracking off a piece of plaster only to reveal the gold beneath the plaster.

In 2007, the king of Thailand had a new home built for the Golden Buddha which opened to the public in 2010 where the Buddha resides today.

Wat Traimit

Wat Pho - is a Buddhist temple in the Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok.  It is located next to the Grand Palace area. Wat Pho is also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. It is one of the largest and oldest wats in Bangkok housing more that 1000 Buddha images as well as the largest Buddha image – the gold-plated Reclining Buddha which measures about 43 metres in length and approximately 15 metres in height. The soles of the feet are made up of inlaid pieces of Mother-of-Pearl.

Along side the Reclining Buddha is a corridor which holds 108 bronze bowls (indicating the 108 auspicious character of Buddha). Here visitors and locals can drop coins into the bowls as it’s believed to bring the giver good luck as well has help the monks maintain the wat.

The entire walled complex is divided into two areas – the northern compound hosts the Reclining Buddha and massage school whereas the southern compound is a working Buddhist monastery. Outside of the temple, the grounds also contain chedis (stupas) – four of which were constructed to honour and hold the ashes of the royal family while others contain the ashes of Buddha. The walled complex is guarded by stone-carved Chinese giants located at the various entrances.

Wat Pho is also considered Thailand’s first public university and the temple was also home to one of the earliest Thai massage schools. Plaques inscribed with therapeutic points and energy pathways are located on the walls of the temple.

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Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram - also known as the Marble Temple. This wat is located in the Dusit district of Bangkok.

Construction of the temple began in 1899 at the request of the King (Rama V) and is built of Italian marble. Massive marble pillars frame the front entrance to the ordination hall while two large singhas (mystical lions) guard the entrance. European details such as stained-glass windows add an interesting touch to this wat.

A beautiful interior.

An example of the stained-glass windows at this magnificent wat.The cloister around the assembly hall houses a superb collection of 53 images of Buddha representing styles from all over Asia and other Buddhist countries  – a sampling of the details here.

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A stop at Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn - one of Bangkok’s best known landmarks. It stands on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River in the Thon Buri district. Construction of the tallest prang (Khmer-style tower) and four smaller ones was started by King Rama II  in the early 1800’s and completed by King Rama III (1824-1851). The towers are supported by rows of decorated demons and  monkeys. Narrow steep steps leading to a balcony high on the central tower give great views of the surrounding areas and across the river to the area of the Grand Palace. The central tower is said to be approximately 250 foot high.

Although the towers of Wat Arun are built of brick covered with stucco it’s their decorations that are unique; encrusted in the stucco are thousands of tiny pieces of multicolored Chinese porcelain.

A small crowd was gathering at the side of Wat Arun - initially I thought it was a photo shoot for a model but I was told later that it was an engagement photo shoot.Wat Arun at dusk.

Took a short tour out to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market - located about 100 kms southwest of Bangkok. I first took a bus part of the way there and then took a longtail boat along the canals to the floating market. Arrived around 10 am at the market so I’m sure it’s busier earlier in the morning - market opens around 7:30 am. It still gave us a chance to see how the locals live in that area - life along the canals.

After a quiet ride along the canals, we finally arrived at the bustling market. Anything and everything is for sale here and you must bargain. Bought some delicious coconut muffins from a woman who had a tiny grill on her boat. Also tasty fruits available - tried mangosteens - flavorful!

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