Sanuk Canadian

...a visit from cutenekko's brother and girlfriend, continues... The last stop on our tour was the Grand Palace. It is famous for two things: being the former residency of the King and for housing the Emerald Buddha.  This spot was packed with tourists, so I felt it difficult to take photos without getting in anyone's way. I hope readers will be satisfied with my pictures.  Inside the front gate, stretched a huge lawn... Walking inside, we walked to the amazing Golden Pagoda. It is completely covered in gold mosaic stones, which are covered with glass to protect the gold.  Golden Pagoda:  Near that, was a model of Angkor Wat -- perhaps the most famous temple complex in the world. I was surprised to see a recreation of this at the Grand Palace:  We walked further and I got a photo of a mythical creature. The guide said he is half bird: Finally, we reached the temple which houses the Emerald Buddha. The...

...a visit from cutenekko's brother and girlfriend, continues... Yesterday, I mentioned a tour we took to visit several temples. The second stop was the infamous "Wat Pho". Inside, it plays host to the most iconic Buddhist statue in Thailand -- the Reclining Buddha. We entered the main hall to view the head... ...then the feet: After walking to the end, I snapped a photo of the soles of Buddha's feet. It shows 108 scenes, which reflect the 108 symbols which represent Buddha. They are inlaid with Mother of Pearl stones. Soles:  I had been before, so I snapped a photo of some lesser seen sights at this temple -- a smaller Buddha statue for example: Next, we explored the outer grounds of the temple, which is one of the largest in Bangkok. Our guide explained these large statues, from China, can be found all over the temple complex: They were used as balances inside wooden trading ships when they returned to Thailand from China. They have no purp...

My brother and his girlfriend braved a 30 hour flight from Canada to visit me in Bangkok. It was their last chance before I move, so I was happy to act as host and guide; it was also a good chance for me to go out see more of the country I've called home for over 2 years now. We booked a city tour and spent the morning visit several temples. This one, Wat Traimit -- best known as "The Temple of the Golden Buddha" -- was our first stop. The temple is quite new and as we climbed the stairs, could witness some lovely artwork: mosaics:  bell:  carving:  At the top, four floors up, sat the Golden Buddha. It's very popular with tourists, so you had to fight for a photo. To avoid getting a shot of people's heads, I did the Mazda way -- zoom, zoom! This Buddha is solid gold and weighs about 5.5 tons (=530 kg). The Golden Buddha:  I really liked the window shutters, which featured elaborate carvings:   Information, entrance fees and more o...

After returning to Bangkok late on Friday night, my close friend, Honeybee, asked me to join her for afternoon tea service at a nearby hotel. We met up on Saturday afternoon to enjoy all the finger sandwiches and sweets. ^_^ I ate about 3 plates of food! The first plate was full of sandwiches and scones. The second plate -- desserts! My second plate: My friend, Honeybee's plate: We could also order as much as we wanted to drink too. I started with cold (iced coffee), then moved to hot tea. Apple tea: In between our fun chat, I snapped photos of the food. View of main sweets: Chocolate fondue fountain: More sweets: It was so great to catch up with Honeybee. While I was in Japan, she sent me numerous emails and messages, detailing all the excitement I was missing from Bangkok. (sigh) I'm going to miss this city. This afternoon tea service was provided at the Queen's Imperial Park hotel . Access: Sukhumvit, BTS Phom Phong and walk about 4 minut...

...a trip to a famous temple continues... Earlier, I introduced readers to a Japanese temple, Sumugawa ("cold river"). I came to this temple to receive special prayers for protection and to have a safe move. View of halls and lanterns from the main gate: After filling out the paperwork, I had to pay 3,000 yen (=$30), got a number and was told to wait in a room inside. There, I could enjoy free snacks and green tea. The room was filled with about 15 other people -- who also were to receive special prayers. View of the main temple hall -- inside, I completed the ceremony. When my number was called --- actually, the whole group of us were the same number -- we moved to the next area. Here, I received a white, kimono like robe with a purple rope. I had to put this on and then, washed my hands again (which is the custom before entering any sacred temple or shrine in Japan). We were not allowed photos inside, so I researched and found some images. Using the images, I...

For my last full day in Japan, I wanted to do something unique. So, I requested to do TWO things: 1) eat more Taiyaki (fish shaped snack) and..  2) visit a temple to receive prayers. Samurai was happy to meet me after work and we headed out to fulfill my wishes. First up, that yummy fish snack! I introduced Taiyaki to my readers in Part 9 of my Bushi series. Check HERE to see the explanation. We headed to a famous Taiyaki shop on the way to the temple. Custard flavor was sold out, so I got the traditional red bean paste filled fish sweet. I snapped photos of the shop: They had also a map of shops located throughout Japan. Hmm.My next goal: to visit each shop? (laugh) Map: Close up of the fishy fish! ^_^ (and the fish tasted very sweet!)  We moved on to the temple, which is a very famous one in Kanagawa, called Samuigawa (meaning: "cold river"). The walkway to the main gate is quite romantic...with Japanese lanterns lining either side of the path. Lante...