A Rambling Writer Rerun: Thailand, part 3: Wat Phra Kaeo
Join us for a virtual tour of Bangkok’s most important temple complex, housing the sacred Emerald Buddha.
NOTE: Due to health issues, Thor and I haven’t been able to do much travel the past few years, so here’s the start of our Thailand trip from 2020. We were lucky to squeak through the pandemic flight closures that February of 2020 as we returned from our three-week trip. Crazy times just keep getting crazier. So escape for a few minutes from our new American dystopia to a country as beautiful and colorful as a dream! I’ll interrupt the reruns with occasional book reviews or Geezer Adventures…. (This blog series began 3/15/2025.)
As you may recall from last week’s post, Thor and I took the “river bus” from our hotel to the closest station to Wat Phra Kaeo.
The morning was already heating up as we threaded a labyrinth of vendor stalls, following the dense crowds. We were really glad to purchase two shade parasols to fend off the fierce sun. This vendor was adding to the heat by burning joss paper for luck or to honor a recently deceased — there has been a big Chinese influence in Thailand on the development of culture and religion. Since our visit coincided with Chinese New Year, we were surrounded by Chinese visitors to the shrines and celebrations.
A welcome bit of green openness outside the wat walls, before we plunge into the crowd at the entrance. There are wats everywhere in Thailand, and typically they are a walled complex that serve as Buddhist monastery, temple, and community center:
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You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Café is Pause, a First Place winner of the Chanticleer Somerset Award and an International Pulpwood Queens Book Club selection. “A must-read novel about friendship, love, and killer hot flashes.” (Mindy Klasky). It’s also a love letter to the breathtaking wilderness of Sara’s native Pacific Northwest. Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com
3 thoughts on “A Rambling Writer Rerun: Thailand, part 3: Wat Phra Kaeo”
After posting this, I learned about the terrible earthquake damage and loss of life in Bangkok from the collapsed skyscraper, and more devastation in Myanmar (epicenter of the quake). Best wishes to families searching for survivors!
My parasol was a lifesaver in the heat and very stylish too.
Yes, it was very wrong of my to mock your fashion sense!