8.24.09 Grand Palace Finally

So we made our way back the Grand Palace today, not to be sidetracked by tuk-tuk drivers. You basically have to pretend they are not even human

and completely ignore them, because even if you say no, they just keep talking. Even later we helped some other tourists and told them to never go with tuk-tuks and he got offended asking why why?

Our first stop was the Wat Phra Kaeo, which was the King's temple and it also housed the emerald buddha. It was nice, but we had to sneak a picture, so the picture doesn't quite capture it. However the entire temple area surrounding it was quite amazing. It was basically about 10 temples all shoved in next to eachother, so everywhere you turned there was an amazing temple.

Then to the Grand Palace which was grand, but not quite as grand as the temple area. The Emerald Buddha Museum had a ton of buddha statues and some history, but again, no pictures allowed. Then to What Pho which is combined with a school, so the kids playground is some ancieant temple. Jenn played with some cats there. This is where the giant recling Buddha lies. Then off to Wat Arun where it cost 9 cents each to cross the river on a ferry. Also cool with absurdly steep steps to the top. We saw one tubby young white guy with 2 Thai girls who just kind of followed him around. It was kind of funny. Then to the City Pillar which wasn't too spectacular but nice, and at this point our batteries had died in our camera. Off to our dinner cruise on the river, but somehow it could not be found and we ended up just going back home and having some good Thai food across the street from our hostel. Overall a very sight filled day. The Thais know how to build temples.

So the rascism/nationalism at the temples is pretty weird. When you take off your shoes, they have a place for Thais to put their shoes, and a place for foreigners, as if they don't want dirty foreigners touching their shoes or something. Also when entering the grand palace the Thais go in free and foreigners pay, yet they don't show any ID or anything, so it's basically just if your Asian you go in free. If we had known, Jenn would have just walked seperately from me and got in free.