Hello everyone!
I was supposed to continue blogging about my first international travel, but almost two years have passed and I'm still nowhere near to its completion. Last time I checked, I was still at my first impression about the streets of Hanoi. I also uploaded a short video about our temple hopping in Vientiane and that's it. When I checked my photos, I realized a lot of them are gone, either I accidentally deleted them when I cleaned my Google Photos or they're at my old laptop that stopped working last year. It dawned on me that if I keep on delaying my international travel blogs, I might not be able to pin them to the map. Worse, my photos might all be gone forever.
For context, I had my first international travel on October 2023 together with my friends. We visited Vietnam first for three days, then crossed the border to Laos where we spent two days in Vientiane. After Laos, we crossed the Mekong River to Thailand where we spent the remaining five days of our trip. Our first day in Thailand was spent on finding our hotel and exploring Chatuchak Market. On the second day, we spent to whole day temple hopping. I could say it was one of the most hectic schedule we had because we were too ambitious in thinking that we could visit seven temples in a day. In the Grand Palace alone, we already spent half a day.
I could have shared about the Grand Palace or the Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho, but Wat Arun resonated more with me at this point. Even if we visited those two temples before we crossed the river to the other side where Wat Arun was located, I felt it's more fitting to share Wat Arun first. Maybe because I had regrets in not renting the traditional Thai clothes.
Crossing Chao Phraya River to Wat Arun costed us 5 Baht. The river crossing is an attraction in itself. We visited during monsoon season, so the river swells. From the boat, I could already understand why Wat Arun is considered as the most photogenic temple in Bangkok. I mean look at that:
Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan is a Buddhist temple located at the west bank of Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. Commonly called as Wat Arun or the Temple of the Dawn. It's a Buddhist temple, but it's name is derived from a Hindu god that's associated with the dawn. Its distinctive feature is the central spire that is decorated by colorful mosaics.
If you're from the east bank, from the pier, you will have to walk a few meters towards the entrance where you'll pay 200 Baht if you're a foreigner. The entrances are guarded by two demon statues.
As we also had temple hopping in Vientiane a few days prior, I can't help but compare the two experiences. In Vientiane, there were no tourists, so it's more solemn and religious (if you believe in that). Also, almost all of the temples in Vientiane are free. In Bangkok, prepare to shell out a couple of hundreds of Baht for the entrances fees. It's grander and more touristy in Bangkok.
The central prang or spire:
I feel like the temple is already used to the thousands of tourists that visit everyday because everything is very systematic. It's also very clean and the grasses at the east side of the temple, nearest to the river, are well-manicured.
The temple is still a holy place for the Buddhists, but considering the revenue generated for Bangkok, I think it's already catered for tourists. Its stunning architecture coupled by its rich history, there's no doubt why it's considered as the most iconic landmark of Bangkok.
No wonder many people visit the temple because aside from its iconic spires, the temple is a great viewpoint of Chao Phraya river.
I guess that's all for this post. See you in my next one! Of course, I'll leave with my photo at the central spire:
Kim Ybañez
