Travels in Thailand - Part 3

...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 outside of this building is quite spectacular, covered in glittering mosaics: 

In the photo below, you can see demons which are said to guard the temple: 

We were not allowed any photos inside, so I got a shot of the guide's placard. He explained the Emerald Buddha has 3 different fashions -- based on the seasons: summer, rainy and winter. We saw "Summer", which was quite elaborate with leaves branching out from Buddha's arms. 

The three styles of the Emerald Buddha: 

 I was surprised regarding the size of the Emerald Buddha -- which is actually made of Jade -- is quite small.

After exiting, we walked to see the palace. The white building was well guarded with officers in white uniforms.

Front, center view of the palace: 

Corner view of the palace: 

A temple nearby: 

Click the photo to see the details. 

I hope you could enjoy your visit to the Grand Palace. ^_^ Tomorrow, I'll show you around Old Siam by Tuk Tuk. 

The Grand Palace is open everyday (despite what some scam artists might tell you) from 08.30 -- 15.30. Cost: 200 Baht. Good information can be found HERE. The wiki page, which explains much of the history, is HERE.