Photgraphs of Thailand, Part 4 of 6
Apr. 21st, 2008 01:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieHere is batch four of my Thailand photos. From everyday:
(Bangkok-Ayutthaya local, March 2008)
To less so:
(fallen Buddha among tree branches, Ayutthaya, March 2008)
Wat Suthat, my favorite of the Wats.
Giant Buddha inside the Wat:
We were the only tourists there, the others were worshippers, staying there for a few minutes for a prayer, and leaving:
I sat there for a while, feet carefully tucked away from the Buddha, enjoying the shade and the peace.
Just drinking it all in. I think it was my happiest moment in Bangkok. I can see why people meditate.
I could hear the noise of the old fan, next to a stack of books, which might or might not have been religious prayer books:
At one point, a monk came in to do his prayers:
This picture, of a person sitting in silent contemplation, eyes closed, not moving, the entire time we were there, is one of my favorites:
And then it was time to get up. Lotuses at the entrance, for prayers:
I am amused to note such sight of sacriledge and worldliness abandoned at the Wat:
The most notable feature of Wat Suthat, is the courtyard full of Buddhas, going the whole way around the building. Each one is donated/maintained as an act of piety by an individual donor.
Shining grounds of the Wat:
Detail of column:
Some Buddhas are gold, but others are shinily black:
With flowers left in the lap:
And some are unpainted stone, and some are being worked on:
Here is a man cleaning a Buddha. He was singing.
Some are draped in cloth:
Close-ups:
And once again, in the shops you could buy religious figures of your very own:
Religion is everywhere, even in the most mundane places:
From then on, we went to Wat Saket and the Golden Mount, a Wat built on an artificial hill in the center of the city. The climb and the view were gorgeous.
On the stairs:
The view from halfway up:
Devotional bells:
Inside the Wat (it's not very preposessing compared to the others, oddly enough):
But the view is unbelievable:
We took the boat back to our hotel. I loved the view from it, and the spurts of water.
Next morning, we decided to go see Ayutthaya. This is the train station:
But to get there, you must perform a death-defying dash across many lanes of traffic. Drivers of Bangkok clearly considered traffic lights and signals as merely guidelines...
Yummy station snack. Just as well, as train vendors were selling mainly 'unidentifiable fried thing on a stick' and vegetables I did not know at all.
This is what a public paid Thai toilet looks like. Still lovely compared to Soviet ones :)
Platforms:
Views out of the window of the train:
On the train:
Even the bananas are different:
Ayutthya is one giant complex of unimaginable temple ruins (the city was the capital which was literally razed by the Burmese in the 1700s). I wish I could tell you which Wat was which, but am too lazy to look it up.
Serene in the midst of destruction:
The most famous image in the city. A tree grew around the head of one of the ruined Buddhas.
More Wats:
I tried to imagine this being a busy city, huge, with hundreds of Wats and many more people. It's hard because the quiet seeps through even when you close your eyes.
This is what the Wats look like, under all the glitter.
And some are randomly scattered amond the new things that grew around them:
Elephant rides on the street:
Yet more Wats:
At the Elephant Center:
This is outside one of the restored Wats and amused me more than it should have:
Inside, there is a money-head:
A giant Buddha:
People praying and using fortune sticks:
And a gorgeous figurine:
If you thought Bangkok platforms were old-fashioned, this is the platform at Ayutthaya:
Inside the train:
(Bangkok-Ayutthaya local, March 2008)
To less so:
(fallen Buddha among tree branches, Ayutthaya, March 2008)
Wat Suthat, my favorite of the Wats.
Giant Buddha inside the Wat:
We were the only tourists there, the others were worshippers, staying there for a few minutes for a prayer, and leaving:
I sat there for a while, feet carefully tucked away from the Buddha, enjoying the shade and the peace.
Just drinking it all in. I think it was my happiest moment in Bangkok. I can see why people meditate.
I could hear the noise of the old fan, next to a stack of books, which might or might not have been religious prayer books:
At one point, a monk came in to do his prayers:
This picture, of a person sitting in silent contemplation, eyes closed, not moving, the entire time we were there, is one of my favorites:
And then it was time to get up. Lotuses at the entrance, for prayers:
I am amused to note such sight of sacriledge and worldliness abandoned at the Wat:
The most notable feature of Wat Suthat, is the courtyard full of Buddhas, going the whole way around the building. Each one is donated/maintained as an act of piety by an individual donor.
Shining grounds of the Wat:
Detail of column:
Some Buddhas are gold, but others are shinily black:
With flowers left in the lap:
And some are unpainted stone, and some are being worked on:
Here is a man cleaning a Buddha. He was singing.
Some are draped in cloth:
Close-ups:
And once again, in the shops you could buy religious figures of your very own:
Religion is everywhere, even in the most mundane places:
From then on, we went to Wat Saket and the Golden Mount, a Wat built on an artificial hill in the center of the city. The climb and the view were gorgeous.
On the stairs:
The view from halfway up:
Devotional bells:
Inside the Wat (it's not very preposessing compared to the others, oddly enough):
But the view is unbelievable:
We took the boat back to our hotel. I loved the view from it, and the spurts of water.
Next morning, we decided to go see Ayutthaya. This is the train station:
But to get there, you must perform a death-defying dash across many lanes of traffic. Drivers of Bangkok clearly considered traffic lights and signals as merely guidelines...
Yummy station snack. Just as well, as train vendors were selling mainly 'unidentifiable fried thing on a stick' and vegetables I did not know at all.
This is what a public paid Thai toilet looks like. Still lovely compared to Soviet ones :)
Platforms:
Views out of the window of the train:
On the train:
Even the bananas are different:
Ayutthya is one giant complex of unimaginable temple ruins (the city was the capital which was literally razed by the Burmese in the 1700s). I wish I could tell you which Wat was which, but am too lazy to look it up.
Serene in the midst of destruction:
The most famous image in the city. A tree grew around the head of one of the ruined Buddhas.
More Wats:
I tried to imagine this being a busy city, huge, with hundreds of Wats and many more people. It's hard because the quiet seeps through even when you close your eyes.
This is what the Wats look like, under all the glitter.
And some are randomly scattered amond the new things that grew around them:
Elephant rides on the street:
Yet more Wats:
At the Elephant Center:
This is outside one of the restored Wats and amused me more than it should have:
Inside, there is a money-head:
A giant Buddha:
People praying and using fortune sticks:
And a gorgeous figurine:
If you thought Bangkok platforms were old-fashioned, this is the platform at Ayutthaya:
Inside the train:
