February 21st - Bangkok

Today was our rest and "jet lag recovery" day. Despite not getting to sleep until 2am, we all woke up really early. It was a sunny day but you couldn't tell by looking at the sky which was a murky brown color. We ordered breakfast, and then headed down to the pool. We grabbed the last cabana/beach temple thingy and dumped our stuff there. The pool was a refreshing respit from the hot humid weather outside, and the kids spent the time jumping from pool to pool. Sammy made friends with a young Korean boy who spoke perfect English, and they ended up playing a game of baseball on the grassy area.

Cathy booked her massage for noon and afterwards we had a light lunch. Cathy and Owen then took a nap while I took Sammy out to see one of the temples. We rode the water bus from the Hotel, watching the hectic life go by on the river. We quickly left the fancy hotel area, to see a more traditional and less affluent example of life. Rickety warehouses and homes build on stilts on the water, all of which looked like they could have fallen in at any moment. Barges and river boats plied up and down the river carrying anything you could imagine. One barge had a traditional Thai house built at one end, in which the workers presumably lived. Our boat was packed full of tourists and locals and we barely had room to stand.

Leaving stop number 8, we had to navigate a narrow and crowded wooden walkway surrounded by shops on either side. Once on the street the temple complex could be clearly seen on the other side, with no obvious way to cross the busy traffic. We eventually followed the other tourists and  risked our lives by running for it.

Wat Pho is one of the oldest temple complexes in Thailand. Unlike in Christianity where a place of worship usually comprises a single church, the Buddhist sites are more like campuses containing gardens, courtyards, and multiple temples. I have visited many temples in Japan, and was struck by how ornate the Thai temples are. Everything is covered in gold leaf and reflecting tiles.

Sammy had a look of amazement on his face on stepping into the complex - he had never seen anything like it. Each of the temples consisted of a large Buddha statue, and a carpeted area at the front for praying and meditation. A smaller Buddha statue was nearer the front and one could pay 20 Baht for a small package containing gold leaf with which one could adorn the small statue.

The temple is famous for containing the "Statue of the reclining Buddha" which is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world - about as long as a football field.

Finally we made our way back to the Hotel looking forward to a nice meal at the outdoor Thai restaurant overlooking the water. Unfortunately poor Owen had fallen asleep so we ended up ordering room service. Sammy and I then took another quick swim, and everyone was asleep by 8pm.