I certainly needed the nights sleep I have just had. I am quite amazed that jet lag is not affecting me at all. In fact I've been very alert all day. At times, especially on the Tuk Tuk ride, I needed to be. The photo on the left is of the Taxi ride to Wat Pho. At one point this was the view I thought I was only going to get to see of Bangkok. The traffic is chaos. It makes driving round london seem like a country drive in Licolnshire. You seem some very strange sights. Yousee fathers taking their daughters to school on the backs of scooters. the father will be wearing an helmet but the young daughter wont! There is a complete disregard to all other road users, crossings, etc. The taxi driver insited on looking in my guide book whilst he was driving also. I did survive the journey, but more travel fun was to come in the form of a Tuk Tuk ride.
I decided to visit Wat Pho. Wat Pho is Thailand oldest and largest temple. It's also a place a etiquette and social protocol nightmares! Basically you wander around thinking 'Am I allowed to take photopgraphs of that?', 'Should i be wearing shoes in here?', 'Should I be displaying my knees', ' should i be displaying my ankles' and the list goes on. Just when you think you are OK, you get a Thai shouting at you - "NO PHOTOS or NO SHORTS". The highlight of Wat Pho is the 'Reclining Buddha'. It is 150ft long made of plaster and covered in gold gilt.
I decided to visit Wat Pho. Wat Pho is Thailand oldest and largest temple. It's also a place a etiquette and social protocol nightmares! Basically you wander around thinking 'Am I allowed to take photopgraphs of that?', 'Should i be wearing shoes in here?', 'Should I be displaying my knees', ' should i be displaying my ankles' and the list goes on. Just when you think you are OK, you get a Thai shouting at you - "NO PHOTOS or NO SHORTS". The highlight of Wat Pho is the 'Reclining Buddha'. It is 150ft long made of plaster and covered in gold gilt.On leaving Wat Pho,you are harrassed by lots of street sellers and Tuk Tuk Drivers. One of the tuk Tuk drivers offered to take me on a mini tour of the city for 1 hour. This cost me £1.20. It seemed hard to decline, but after visiting a few temples and large Buddahs you soon realise why it was so cheap. A lot of the taxi drivers and Tuk Tuk drivers are on commission from shops, so one of the stops on 'their tour' will always include a stop at such a shop. On this occassion it was a tailor made suit shop. I had to tell them I had already bought two jackets earlier in the day, but still they tried to sell me more. I made my excuses and left!! So not to disappoint the Tuk Tuk driver I gave him a 100% tip. Whoever said I was tight?? ;-)
TUK TUK RIDE
I think I have captured the essence of a Tuk Tuk ride in the clip above.
I think I have captured the essence of a Tuk Tuk ride in the clip above.
Below are some more photographs of today
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