Bangkok City Market, Wat Pho and Night Market

We joined out Gate 1 Tour group and began the day with a visit to the city market followed by a stop at Wat Pho to see the Reclining Buddha.  We ended the day with shopping at the night market.  Our initial impression of Bangkok was that it is the cleanest city we have come across so far in our travels.  Also, the traffic was less heavy with wider roads, more cars and much fewer motor bikes on the roads.  The people were very friendly and the vendors were docile compared to India and Vietnam.

The Reclining Buddha - Wat Pho

The city market is a wholesale distribution point for flowers, fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry and meat.  It operates 24/7 and was very busy.  We were amazed at the number of flowers moving through the market until we realized how important they are as gifts to Buddha.  Equally surprising, was how inexpensive the flowers were and the fact that many were incorporated into lays or other decorative arrangements.  We were unfamiliar with most of the fruits and many of the vegetables.  It was a lively, colorful market that had the feel of community as people there seemed to know each other.  Numerous small trucks were standing by to be loaded to distribute goods around the city.

Flowers at the City Market

Eggs Preserved in an Alkaline Solution and Then Colored Pink

Wat Pho is a Buddhist temple complex.  It is also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.  The Reclining Buddha is nearly 150 feet long.  This temple dates back to the 16th Century.  108 donation pots line a wall opposite the Reclining Buddha and those with special requests of the Buddha exchange 20 Baht for 108 smaller coins to deposit one coin into each of the 108 donation pots.  Wat Pho is the site of the oldest university in Thailand.  A Buddhist monastery is located within the temple complex.  Many hundreds of statues of Buddha are located throughout the walled grounds.  One surprising element was Chinese statues which were placed as if guards at many of gates joining courtyards.  These were used as ballast in ships carrying goods from China.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Pho

Phra Ubosot

Donation Pots

Brian Next to Chinese Version of Marco Polo