BANGKOK

The day started pretty early at 5:30 and we were up. We were not yet aware that this would be our routine for the next fortnight. We got up very early, but the pictures we took were worth it!

That day we tried our first buffet at the first hotel of our trip, and my first choice was a plate full of exotic fruits: papaya, guava, pineapple, passion fruit and the adorable mini Thai bananas.

After a good breakfast and my usual coffee, we waited for the guide with whom we started the adventure. The heat of the early morning was surreal, but it was better not to think about what awaited us in broad daylight.

That day we would visit the most important temples in Bangkok. The day before, we were told that we had to wear trousers/skirts below the knees and a T-shirt or similar covering our shoulders to enter the temples. This did not help much to cope with the heat that awaited us. But well, it was all about adapting. In case you are not prepared or want something cool, there are shops around the temples and for less than 2 € you can get a typical Thai super cool pants, which you will wear for sure several times during the trip.

The first temple we visited was the temple Wat Trimit or the Golden Buddha. This temple is famous for housing the imposing figure of a solid gold Buddha. This is the largest golden Buddha in the world. It is estimated to be over 700 years old.

The story goes that it was moved from the city of Sukhothai to Ayutthaya in the 15th century. As they usually did to hide the statues of the Buddhas from the Burmese invaders, it was covered with stucco to conceal it.

It remained for many years abandoned and attracted no one's attention until it was moved to Bangkok where various temples rejected it because of its appearance and size until it was accepted by the Wat Trimit temple without knowing the true value of the Golden Buddha. Inside the same building he was moved with a crane, which suffered an accident and when it fell to the ground, the stucco of the statue cracked showing that its true composition of solid gold.
After getting strength with several bottles of water, we headed for our next stop: the temple Wat Pho or Temple of the Reclining Buddha. As you can see, it's all about temples and Buddhas 😊. In this case it was a sculpture covered in gold leaf, 46 meters long and 15 high.

Dead from the heat but fascinated by the country's culture, we continued to move forward on our first day.
Our next stop: The Royal Palace. This is a complex of buildings where the royal family lived until the middle of the 20th century. There we could admire the magic captured in its architecture, with sculptures and carved figures of great value. It is home to the Emerald Buddha (วัดพระแก้ว, Wat Phra Kaew), the main religious icon of the Thai people. The pictures of this place speak for themselves.

We deserved a good meal after the intense day of sightseeing. We were recommended a treat, which we do not regret. A free buffet in the restaurant of the "Baiyoke Tower". We enjoyed incredible views of Bangkok while our mouths were watering with absolutely all the typical Thai dishes we could try.

A swim in the hotel pool, disconnected from the heights of the bustling city of Bangkok, culminated our first day in Bangkok.

This article is published in Spanish and english in HIVE BLOG

Pictures taken by me during the trip.

It will continue...

@aminealaoui