Published: 17.07.2022
Sleep...and more sleep...then I'll feel better 😊.
I decide, the other two ladies join me, at 9 o'clock we'll go to aqua sport. The trainer doesn't speak much English ("change sides" - her only and favorite phrase), but with the collective female power of the Asian participants, the sport in the cool water works wonders. Wonderful, this is how the morning can begin, the breakfast - a peeled and packaged mandarin in plastic - makes the morning perfect.
It's 11 o'clock, we take the bus (the man at the hotel laughs when I tell him that we want to use public transportation, and he can't understand why we expose ourselves to the stress) to Wat Po.
Side note: A bus with the letters AC behind the bus number is one that has air conditioning, our number 25 is old and rickety and beautiful - but without air conditioning. I love the half-hour ride (0.40 cents per person) and absorb Bangkok, its loudness, the bustling, the order in chaos, the exhaust fumes, the people who don't secure their refrigerators to the vehicle while driving, but just hold on to them. Southeast Asia - I missed you.
Back to Wat Po: There are more than 400 temples in the city, Wat Po is the oldest, but not only because of its age it is a particularly beautiful destination. In the Wat Pho temple, you can admire the gigantic reclining Buddha, who has become famous far beyond Bangkok and adorns numerous postcards.
Wat Pho is located directly south of the Grand Palace in the old town of Bangkok and was probably founded in the 17th century. The temple was renovated under King Rama I, who also had the famous temple for the Emerald Buddha built in the Grand Palace. Even today, monks live in Wat Po and continue the teachings of Buddhism. If you are there early, you can participate in the morning chants of the monks. The reclining Buddha (15m high, 46m long) is not the largest of its kind in Thailand, but certainly the most famous. In addition, the entire figure is gilded, which makes the reclining Buddha even more impressive. The Wat Pho also attracts visitors from all over the world with its school for traditional Thai massage. Tourists not only have the opportunity to enjoy a soothing massage on the temple grounds, but can also take courses at the temple school to learn Thai massage.
Enough input - Wat Po: 100 points, we can't stop marveling at this facility...
"Mai chai kop khun kaa" - no, thank you very much...we walk, no taxi or tuk-tuk...we go to Chinatown on foot. On the way there, we stroll through various markets where you can find everything, especially junk that you don't need ☺️. And masks galore. But mangosteen for strength is a must. When we arrive in Chinatown, everyone here is getting ready for the night market, so we go to a wonderful street vendor for dinner (the Magnum and mandarin didn't last very long).
And there is delicious Nasi Goreng (@ phine, michi, dania), Karin orders a soup with coconut milk and fish. It takes a really long time to prepare, but wow, this soup, spicy as hell, and indescribably delicious! We can easily pass by the grilled insects, worms, and scorpions since we are now full...it's late...the first day in Bangkok - the City of Angels - is coming to an end ♥️