The Grand Palace and Wat Pho

Well what can we say except stunning! We started our journey immediately being hussled by this Thai guy claiming he was a police officer packing us onto a Tuk Tuk and trying to take us to a private boat to take us up the river. We quickly realised what he was up to and got the Tuk Tuk driver to drop us off and found the Express Boat - the locals rivertaxi and about a 10th of the price we would have paid! It was a good reminder to keep sharp in the city - and we survived!

We went firstly to the Grand Palace which was where the Royal family of Thailand used to have their residency but is now only used by them for occasional ceremonies - one of which was to be on the evening we visited where a royal ox is asked to choose from a certain set of foods, which one it chooses predicts the agricultural performance of the country for the next year. So when we arrived there were many people busying themselves putting out red carpets and different ceremonial dishes etc. There was also many Thai people flower and insence stick in hand doing circuits of the palace blessing it before the families arrival.

In terms of the architecture in was beautiful. Wonderfully bombastic and over the top. As you can see from the photos it puts Winsor Castle to shame!! Myself and Rob particularly like the figures that appeared to be straining to hold up the buildings. Another favourite of Rob's was a beautiful painting that went round the entire wall of the grounds with certain figures picked out in gold leaf. It was depicting a story which was fantastical, and we will when we get bored on line be sure to figure out what it was staying.

Wat Pho was equally as wonderful. Having been told by no less that about 5 individual Thai guys that it was shut - we were a little disappointed to think we had missed out - however, lucky for us as we were walking back to the Express boat we discovered the entrance and it was in fact open - apparently after the reading the guide book it can be a scam by some Tuk Tuk drivers - telling you something is shut when in fact it is not - so they can take you other places.

The Buddah was an awesome sight. It is apparently the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok dating from the 16th Century and here's the best part within the temple is a stunning reclining Buddah 46m long and 15m high. The reclining position illustrates the Buddah passing into the final Nirvana. It is covered entirely in gold leaf and the soles of his feet are made from Mother of Pearl depicting loads of different Buddah positions.

As well as obviously the stunning spectacle what hit us when we walked in was the noise! We could not at all work out what the constant tinkling of metal was until we got round the other side - where Thai people were picking up small gold coins and walking the length of the buddah dropping a coin in each of the 40 or so bowls that lined the length of the wall where the Buddah lay.

It was stupidly hot so after two hours of melting like proper tourists we retreated back to air con via the Express Boat. What a fantastic day of sightseeing.