Thailand 2018 : The Sanctuary of Truth

Although The Sanctuary of Truth has probably left some forest bald , deforestation , you can’t helped but be impressed by it.

This temple is located Pattaya which is about 3 hours by bus from Bangkok.  It is located along the shore, so the sea breeze constantly deteriorate the structure so it needs constant maintenance.

Let’s take a short tour of the temple:

A view from a far.

Closer..

Side View.

A little closer.

One side of the temple is under renovation, replacing the areas which are already starting to disintegrate.

Busy like a bee.

Very intricate detail of the temple.

At the workshop, busy carving new status.

Inside the temple is as intricate outside or even more.

Visiting this place made the trip to Pattaya worth it.

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Thailand 2016 : Bangkok

I have been to Thailand twice already, 2016 and 2018, but have not posted any blogs about it, so this will be a series of post from those trip, starting of course with Bangkok.

Bangkok, is the Capital of The Kingdom of Thailand.

I was told that it would be crazy with all the Tuk-Tuk running around the city, but what I saw was a very well established train line and clean.  Tuk-Tuk still run around the city but only specific areas.

Sky rise building are popping around the business districts, road construction were every where, improving mode of transportation.

Although it has become a very bustling city, the people are still warm and kind. A few times in the train, I have been offered a seat , which will never happen in Japan. It was a nice gesture, I was happy to know that being a gentleman has not left the Thai men.

Anyways, let’s check a few places which I visited.

First order of the day, is to tour the city by the river.

Pick a boat. Boats are less than 20 baht to ride, but we decided to take a tour around and paid 1000 baht for two people.  The tour lasted for about an hour that took us different part of the river where people are living and making a living. It gave us a perspective on how the locals are living here. We got off at a nearby market/pier (Tha Chang) near the Royal Place.

You cannot stop at every temple but you can see and admire it from afar.

Admiring the top of the temples.

Next stop is The Grand Palace of Bangkok.

It was very grand indeed.

The murals depicts history or myth or legend?
Every buildings has very intricate designs and I think you can appreciate it more by taking a closer look at it

 

There are several temples (Wat) all around the city of Bangkok and believe me by the end of the day you will be templed-out 🙂

Entering temples requires that you take off your shoes before getting in, so wear something that is easy to remove and put back on.

Though the Bangkok is not only about Temples, it is a very vibrant city. Shopping , Night Life , Food and everything in between.

Enjoy and have fun in Bangkok.

 

Autumn in Katsuoji

One of the many charms of Katsuoji is the view during Autumn.

After visiting it during Summer time, Miss S and I decided to see it during the Autumn season as well. This time we just took the train and then bus to get there.

How to get there from Osaka(Access)

We took Hankyu Line and got off at Kita Senri Station and took bus #29.

Let’s try to see how Autumn looks like arund Katsuoji.

Somebody shaped the little guys into a heart.

Myamar Adventure : Mt. Popa

We had a whole before our bus to Yangon leaves so we decided to visit Mt. Popa.
Mt. Popa is a dormant volcano which is about 40-50 minutes by car from New Bagan.
The temple on top of Mt. Popa
Another one.

We paid about 22,000 Kyats ( $15-17) for 2 people. The taxi waited for us too so it was really a good deal.

A long and scenic climb. Just like any temple in Myanmar, shoes are not allowed. You need to walk at least 700 stairs before you can reach the top. There are no specific fee to enter but you are required to donate a specific amount 🙂 for maintenance. There are several locals constantly cleaning the stairs in specific area which is really great. There are monkeys roaming around also so be careful about bringing food.
Your friendly neighborhood monkey.

View from the top.

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One of the Pagoda on top.

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If you have a few hours left before leaving Bagan, I suggest to take a short detour to Mt. Popa.

Myanmar Adventure : Bagan

Bagan was considered to be the heart of Myanmar over the centuries. It burts of spiritual creativity which lasted for two and half centuries , beginning in 1047 and ending in 1287 when Kublai Khan raided the city.

One the main attraction is the “Bagan Archaelogical Zone” which occupies an impressive 26-sq mile area.

Sunrise and Sunset is the best part of the day to view the temples/ pagodas.

Sunrise

Getting inside Bagan is not free. We paid $15 per person to get into the city. Make sure you do not loose your entrance ticket for the duration of your stay.

We took a night bus from Yangon and arrived in Bagan around 4 am in the morning just in time for the sunrise and it was beautiful.
There are several ways to tour the site and we decided to rent a horse carriage for the day and it was a good idea indeed. Our driver and tour guide took us to a lovely place to watch the sunset.
Waiting for the Sunset at one of the temple.
Another Panoramic view of Old Bagan.

One of the many Pagodas you can around Old Bagan. I kept saying “Old Bagan”, since that is what most of the local refer to the archaeological site. New Bagan refers to where most of the local lives.

Our ride for the day. Very comfy and keep us out of the sun.

December is considered to be one of the Dry season and it can get hot in the day. There are barely any shades around till you get to the Pagoda.
Our very hardworking tour guide for the day.
You can also meet local selling this kind of art. They claim to be the one making it. Well technically they do paint it. It’s one of those do it yourself painting with already patterns on it and all you need to do is paint it. I got suckered into buying one and later found out that almost everyone is selling the same thing.

And in all pagodas, small or big, shoes are not allowed so it would be advisable to bring an extra pair of socks or wet wipes to use afterwards.

Bagan is an amazing place to visit. A place full of history. If not for invaders, I wonder how the city would have flourish. What kind of philosophies or philosophers or scholars have studied there.  If only those rocks, pagodas could talk, I wonder what kind of stories they would tell.