This wat was named for Aruna, the Indian god of dawn, because King Taksin arrived here at dawn in 1767 to establish this as Siam's new capital. Clearly the workers couldn't unionize otherwise they would have started after breakfast. But they are right by the Chao Praya River and it seems the best views of Wat Arun are from the east side of the river so that one could watch the sun set behind the wats towers.
The best we could do to re-create the atmosphere was to take the express boat down river and stop near the Palace and transfer to the across-the-river taxi/boat. Plying waters to a sacred site is always the way to go. The central focus is on particular pyramid/tower (for lack of any other descriptive term). It's spire pierces the sky and if you want, you can climb halfway to the top via steps that are challenging to even the heartiest. But, Josh and I climbed and were rewarded with a remarkable view of the river and the palace grounds back across the river where we had seen the Reclining Buddha and Emerald Buddha the day before.
This had a golden seated Buddha for the faithful set in a smaller temple on the grounds.The statues and designs were weathered but the feel of main monuments was very masculine as compared with the smoother more colorful wats and monasteries which we have seen. The land right next to the river is extremely flat and the spires provide a remarkable contrast when seen from the river. One of the best things was that we beat the tour buses and while half of South Korea emerged from air conditioned buses to descend on the wat, we were sitting by the river drinking water and enjoying the river traffic.
Back on to the river to catch the river/taxi to another stop where we commandeered a tuk-tuk driver to take us to the Golden Mount ( though most of you probably are more familiar with its formal name: Wat Srakesa Rajavaramahavihara) . Bangkok is rather flat and when the rains come there is much that floods or is in jeopardy of flooding. So, it does not take much of a rise in the landscape for something to be called a "mount" and such is the case with this temple which sits smack in the middle of Bangkok but requires the faithful (and folks from Ohio) to climb some 300 steps. And yet each step around the side of the temple, lifts one a bit higher above the considerable vegetation at the base of the temple...and affords on an ever-increasingly more wonderful view of the city. Suffice it to say that one cannot get the full view of the place except from the air...Google Wat Srakesa or Golden Mount Bangkok for such views.
It is also interesting to note that numerous of these holy sites which are major tourist draws (though the Golden Mount is a bit off the major tourist trail, which is too bad, it is magnificent) have posters which invite you to download and App for your cell phones or Ipads and thus have access to more photos and history. It's a new world out there. Apparently they are electing a new Governor too and countless election posters line the city streets for the candidates who are all looking alternately tough on crime, compassionate in local floods, praising beaming high achieving school children or embracing hi-tech instruments as they ask for your vote. At the bottom of each poster is where to reach the candidates Face Book page.
But, I digress. Besides serenity and views the Golden Mount has bells around every turn in which the faithful or even us tourists are invited to ring...insuring good luck from the gods. When we descended from the Mount we decided on a restaurant and hailed a cab...a first for us since Tuk-tuks have been our main mode of transport. What a revelation, the cab was air conditioned, we rode through noontime traffic listening to his Bee-Gees CD while his taxi meter kept an accurate/legal fare. It was MUCH less than a tuk-tuk...alas not as exciting and we decided that getting ripped off by tuk-tuk drivers is OK if you figure part of the journey in a tuk-tuk is the gritty sense of being at-one with the cityscape. After lunch we tried to find another metered cabbie but they all insisted on side-stops to some tourist haven and we just walked away to the river pier, bought a ticket for pennies and went to the nearest dock to the Metro Train which took us to the house of Jim Thompson.
Here's an interesting story. Jim Thompson was an American Princeton educated architect who served in WWII and afterwards settled in Thailand and revived the Thai Silk Industry. He disappeared mysteriously in 1967 in Malaysia (he may have been CIA) and yet his foundation and industry thrive. We toured his teak home and grounds (rather like seeing the home of some great author or statesman and entering a time warp of life in another era). But it was wonderful. It was very strange to go from the ancient sacred sites to a more modern elegant home. I'd recommend it.
But, Madam Suzy's Thai Food restaurant was calling us. It's located just a block from our hotel in a little neighborhood. The street market of the morning and daytime becomes a street scene of plastic tables and chairs which sit but a few inches from the passing traffic. The food was good and the open wok on the outdoor stove made certain that the temperature where we were seated never dipped below a balmy 95. All the more reason to have another Singha!
Peace, Bob
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