Temple
Scenery
Scenery
Metal Temple
Obviously under restoration. That's the literal translation above, but I believe it was initially copper, and has gone black after extensive oxidation over the course of many years. Particularly in a humid envrionment like this, it's unavoidable.
Ashes of Buddha
Lots of temples house the "Ashes of Buddha", so I don't really know how true it is that any of them do.
Metal Temple
I wanted to capture some detail up close. You can see in this picture the earlier stage of green oxidation on some parts.
Views from Metal Temple
One actually gets a nice 360 view of Bangkok, though I'm not going to include all those pictures in this series. Incidentally, the Metal Temple is not a typical tourist spot, which was very cool. I was alone as I took these pictures, though I had run into another westerner earlier who had been told by a local about the place. Oddly enough, he's a contractor for the military and will be in Qatar in a couple months. Small world.
Views from Metal Temple
You can see the curvature from the camera lens on the posts there. I wish I had some sort of way of correcting for that digitally. Yeah, my little camera isn't the greatest thing, but at least I take pictures now.
Views from the Metal Temple
Views from the Metal Temple
Buddhas in the Metal Temple
Portugese Fort Wall
I'd actually climbed up and was walking along the top of the wall here.
Through the wall
If you look closely, you can see a girl in mid-swing there.
Canal
Inside the Wall
Flavor Shot
Canal/Bridge
Check out the example of the intricate work there.
Front of Fort
King Prajadhipok
That's the current king, otherwise known as Rama IX
Chaduchat Market
I didn't get to go during the weekend when it's kind of like a hyper farmer/flea market sort of deal, but I did go during the week, when they basically have plants for sale. That's Bom's Dad in front of me there. Remember the pronunciation of Ch in the above.
Train Station
After the market, we headed down to Chinatown. The train station is right next to it, so we stopped on the way from the subway for a quick drink.
Other Side
I like having the cop in the foreground here...
Chinese Temple
Chinese Temple
Offering Candles
These are designed to burn continuously for three months.
Flavor Shot
Play the Lottery!
aka. the standard tax on people bad at math / poor people. These little stands are ubiquitous throughout Bangkok.
Working
I guess those are stoves on the right, and natural charcoal on the left, not yet in chunk form.
Traditional Coffee Shop
The stuff is GOOD. Will also definitely put hair on your chest, if you want it there.
Flavor Shot