The Kingdoms of Rattanakosin and Thonburi

And so, during the wee hours of the night, nakarating kami sa KC Place Serviced Apartment, our chosen hotel in Pratunam which we booked via Agoda. One thing that I liked about Thailand is that, decent and comfortable hotels are very cheap! Stay overnight for just THB 850 to THB 1200! Just 5-10 minutes walk away from Platinum Mall and Pratunam market. A must-stay hotel for wholesale shopping addicts! (Todo endorse lang...) :D

Stay at KC Place Serviced Apartment Pratunam!
Comfortable yet affordable... ^_^

At 8AM, during our first day in Bangkok, sinundo kami ng aming tour guide na si Robbie and our driver, Sakol. 

Sawadee ka!... Let's begin with the adventures of Teh in Bangkok! ^_^

~ The Grand Palace ~

Thai: พระบรมมหาราชวัง

Ang una naming pinuntahan for the day is the Grand Palace. To enter, there is one entrance allotted for public and that is the Viseschaisri (รวมเว็บ) Gate.

Kakapasok pa lang sa gate, pero manghang-mangha na si Teh sa view na ito... :)

Typical Wat gate design.
Everest-inspired.

By the way, Thai women are conservative. At dahil maituturing na banal ang Grand Palace, kailangang sumunod sa dress code, katulad nang kapag tayo ay tutungo ng simbahan. Bawal ang body-hugging or fitted clothes, pero okay lang ang tsinelas dahil pagpasok mo naman sa mga temples, kailangang hubarin ang footwear.

Some of the mythical creatures from the epic Ramayana.
Indian-inspired. ;)

Ang architecture ng mga gusali ng palasyo is very much Buddhist and Indian Epic Ramayana-inspired. At kung mapapansin ninyo mga teh, common na patulis ang mga tuktok ng kanilang mga temples at iba pang buildings. It signifies Mount Everest, which is the highest mountain in the world. Buddhists believe that Everest is the heaven because it is the highest place in the world, and that Buddha is up there, watching us. Napakaraming tao sa lugar kung kaya't dinala muna kami ni Robbie sa tapat ng isang golden stuppa, kung saan wala gaanong tao at ingay. Umupo sina Teh upang makinig sa storytelling ni Robbie about the kings of the currently reigning Chakri Dynasty and prior history of Thailand.

One thing na hindi ko malimutan sa kuwento niya ay ang homosexual king at princess (na 'di na sasabihin ni Teh kung sino, baka ma-block ang The Adventures of Teh. X_X). For the gay king, he was forced to marry para magkaroon siya ng successor at ang malupit pa niyan, hindi alam ng naging queen niya na siya pala ay isang sirena. Nang malaman ito ng queen, nagkasakit siya then died because of depression.  While with the story about the lesbian princess, ang nabanggit lang ni Robbie ay kahit na siya ay lesbian, mahal na mahal siya ng taong bayan dahil very down-to-earth siya and marami siyang nagawa para sa mga Thais. Sobrang down-to-earth, to the point na nagbabalabal siya to conceal her identity then humahalo siya sa commoners habang nakasakay sa tren. Nai-share ito ni Robbie sa amin because what he wants us to realize is that, your character is not defined by being straight or homosexual. For as long as you do good to others, that is what important. By then, naisip ni Teh na bagay talaga kay Robbie ang work niya. He is open-minded. :)

Storytelling after entering the Inner Palace while enjoying the view of the stuppas.

After sharing the history and side stories of the Chakri Dynasty and Thailand as a whole, he showed us around the palace. Dito ako ay nabighani talaga sa dami ng ginto sa paligid.  Take note, hindi sila basta plated lang. Tunay na ginto ang pinag-uusapan natin dito. $_$

The stuppas made from real gold. Too big para iuwi sa Pinas. Hehe... XD

Pati na rin sa mini-Angkor Wat na nakadisplay malapit sa Royal Pantheon sobrang namangha ako, as I had mentioned sa Intro... ^_^

The mini-Angkor Wat, as seen in Teh's intro. Fave ni Teh. ^_^

Wat Phra Kaew, where Teh's Buddhism pilgrimage has begun...

Bukod pa diyan, sa loob ng Grand Palace niyo rin makikita ang Wat Prah Kaew kung saan sinasamba ng mga Theravada Buddhists ang Emerald Buddha. Trivia lang mga teh ~ ang Emerald Buddha rito ay hindi gawa sa emerald. Ito ay gawa sa jade. Eh kaya lang, dahil emerald nang emerald ang mga Thai, pinanindigan na lang nila. Hehe, cool 'no? Segue lang din ng something personal... Well, I am not a Buddhist, pero marahil ay dito nagsimula ang pilgrimage ko bilang Buddhist. Though I am born a Christian, bilib din kasi ako sa teachings ni Buddha. Very straight to the point and philosophical... Anyway, as a Buddhist, what you can do in this temple, like in any other Theravada temple, ay una, iwanan ang tsinelas o sapatos sa labas, pumasok sa loob ng temple, lumuhod at magdasal. Paglabas, may makikitang lotus flower at malaking golden bowl of Holy Water. Dip the lotus bud then use the flower to bless yourself or 'yung kasama mo while thinking of your prayers sa buhay or para sa kasama mo.

Chakri Maha Prasat Hall.
The heart of the Grand Palace.

First destination pa lang, pero sobrang busog na ang mga mata ni Teh sa magagandang buildings and temples that define what Thai architecture is.

~ Wat Pho - The Reclining Buddha ~

Thai: วัดโพธิ์

Inside the reclining Buddha temple...

Moving on, we visited another Buddhist temple, where a huge reclining Buddha statue resides. As in... honloko nyooo!!! :D

By the way, hindi po sungka ang nilalaro ni lola sa right-side ng picture. For around THB 200 (sa pagkakaalala ni Teh), you will be given coins na ihuhulog mo sa bawat pot sa gilid ng temple. Make a wish as you drop each coin. So essentially, para kang naglalaro ng sungka pero walang bahay-bahay at uubusin mo 'yung baryang hawak mo.

Nang makita ko ang reclining Buddha image, pumasok agad sa isip kong ang cool naman ni Buddha. He looked contemplated sa image na iyon, na para bang naabot na niya ang rurok ng kaligayahan sa buhay. At siyempre pa, na-curious ako kung anong meron sa reclining image ni Buddha. Sabi ni Robbie, 'yun daw ang last position ni Buddha bago siya namatay. So in translation, namatay siyang masaya at umakyat sa Everest...

Nearby Wat beside Wat Pho.
Wala lang, nag-enjoy si Teh mag-picture. :D

~ Wat Arun ~

Thai: วัดอรุณ

Just a few minutes walk from Wat Pho, narating namin ang sakayan ng boat na tumatawid ng Chao Phraya river, to and from Bangkok and Thonburi.

Wat Arun.
Teh smells an extreme experience ahead...

Pero bago ang lahat, ano ba ang significance ng Thonburi, bukod sa fact na narito ang Wat Arun? Just to share a brief history of Thailand, it had established three kingdoms prior to the current one established in Bangkok. The first kingdom was established in Sukhothai, after rebelling against the Khmers; the second was in Ayutthaya. Matapos namang pabagsakin ng Burmese empire ang Ayutthaya,  nag-decide ang Thais na ilipat ang kaharian sa Thonburi. And then the kingdom has been relocated to Rattanakosin, which is now what everyone calls as Bangkok.

The Everest, the Fat Monk and Buddha

Kung may hindi ako malilimutan sa temple na ito, iyon ay ang challenging na pagpanhik at extra challenge na pagbaba mula sa itaas nito. Dito, may dalawang levels: level 1 at level 2. Sa level 1, tolerable pa ang height at nipis ng bawat hakbang sa stairs paakyat sa unang viewdeck layer ng temple. Hindi pa gaanong nakakatakot. Makikita mo ang Thonburi sa isang side and then Bangkok on the other side. Katamtamang view at hangin. Sa level 2 naman, dahil nag-increment na ang number, mas mataas ang level of difficulty nito. Kung ang size 36 na paa ni Teh ay nagkakasya pa sa stairs ng level 1, sa level 2, goodluck talaga! Sobrang nipis na kinailangan ko pang itagilid ang paa ko para siguradong nakahakbang ako paakyat dahil bongga rin ang height ng stairs.

Conquering Wat Arun... Reward awaits you on the top... ^_^

Eh pero naman, sobrang worth it 'yung todo effort na pag-akyat sa level 2 viewdeck. Mas maganda ang views dahil mas malawak ang nakikita mo at mas mahangin sa itaas. :D

Walang kasawa-sawa sa temple photos. Hehe...

Okay, so tapos nang mag-enjoy si Teh sa level 2 viewdeck. Naalala ko biglang may descending phobia ako. Kung todo tumbling na si Teh sa pag-akyat, siguro i-square mo 'yung level ng difficulty ng pagbaba. Mag-isa pa naman akong umakyat kung kaya't walang tumulong sa akin bumaba. T_T Mabuti na lang at nakaisip ng paraan si Teh - ang bumaba nang paupo sa stairs. (Lola mode ON!) Keri lang kung madumihan ang shorts ko, makababa lang si Teh. Siguro kung hindi ko naisip 'yan, malamang hanggang ngayon, nasa taas pa rin ako ng Wat Arun... :)))

~ Chao Phraya River Experience ~

Thai: แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา

So after conquering Teh's fear of heights, bumalik kaming muli sa pier para sumakay ng long tail riverboat. Mga isang oras kaming nakasakay sa bangkang humahampas nang bongga sa alon, na sa bawat hampas eh pakiramdam ni Teh, mawawasak 'yung bangka. Scary 'no? Pero infairness, matibay ang bangka. Hehe... At kung hindi ka naman naligo, this is a perfect ride for you dahil may libreng shower mula sa tubig ilog. (Buti at hindi gaanong mala-Pasig river ang amoy ng Chao Phraya, kundi tumbling talaga.) But wait, there's more! Kung mahilig ka sa nakakahilong rides sa mga theme parks but no time to go to a Bangkok theme park, then this is your ride! :D ...@_@'

Sights to cherish in Chao Phraya:
Temples, bridges and a happy paddle boat vendor... ^_^

Definitely, hindi namin matatapos libutin ang river na ito, dahil this extends up to Ayutthaya, and even up to the farther north of Thailand. So goodluck talaga kung nilibot namin ito. Well, may mga cruise and express boat rides naman along this river, so kung bet ninyong libutin ang Chao Phraya River, avail na rin kayo ng tours sa Travel Hub!

Lots of Buddhist temples...
And one of the few Christian churches in Bangkok... :)

Hindi lang Buddhist temples ang nakita namin dito. Along Chao Phraya river, dito namin nakita ang Santa Cruz Church, one of the few churches in Bangkok... :)

Anyway, during the early times, sobrang naging significant ang river na ito sa mga naging hari ng Thailand. Kasi either ito 'yung naging channel nila to escape from enemies or to visit their constituents residing in different provinces of Thailand. Siyempre noon, hindi pa naman uso ang bus at trains so boat pa ang uso. Back then, definitely inaabot ng days up to weeks ang biyahe along this river. :O

~ Yaowarat Road ~

Thai: ถนนเยาวราช

Pagkatapos naming magpakabusog sa buffet lunch at mag-moment sa bintana habang pinagmamasdan ang Chao Phraya River, kami ay naglakad patungong Yaowarat Road para sa aming Chinatown walking tour.

Top: Vegetable festival banners along Yaowarat...
Bottom: First time makakita ni Teh ng Sharksfin.
Teh wonders kung paano nagiging dumpling ito. ?_?

So the walking tour lasted for 30 minutes, until we reached Wat Traimit, which is our last destination. This walking tour made me felt nostalgic towards Binondo. Ang pinagkaiba lang, karamihan ng Chinese signboards, may Thai subtitle. Along Yaowarat Road, Robbie showed us some of the Chinese products like Sharksfin (malaki pala siya), dried leaves and flowers for tea, lotus root (sayang, hindi kami bumili...), ready-to-eat street fruits and dried fruits, at marami pang iba na makikita rin sa Binondo. Hehe... Also, he told us back then na malapit na ang Vegetable Festival, na siyang nakasulat sa mga yellow banners.

~ Wat Traimit ~

Thai: วัดไตรมิตรวิทยารามวรวิหาร

This was our last destination for the day. And probably, this is one of the best temples na nakita ni Teh. Siguro kasi nakaganda rin sa kanya na hapon kami pumunta at hindi na gaanong matao. Hehe...

The Wat Traimit in a cloudy afternoon...

The Sukhothai-inspired and contemporary Buddha statues.
Lahat may ginto pa rin! $_$

Well, aside from the beautiful architecture of this temple, the Golden Sukhothai art-inspired Buddha has a story to tell. Noon, may sabi-sabi na mayroong golden statue sa kalagitnaan ng Sukhothai. And when the Kingdom transferred to Ayutthaya, sinama nila ang Golden Buddha. Tapos, bago ma-invade ng Burmese empire ang Ayutthaya, pinlasteran nila ang Golden Buddha to conceal its identity. And so, after centuries, noong nalipat na sa Bangkok ang kaharian, inutos ng haring kunin lahat ng Buddha images mula sa mga nasirang temples. And so, the Kingdom was able to retrieve the plastered Buddha image. Back then, during 1950's, noong napagdesisyunang ilipat ang plastered Golden Buddha image sa kasalukuyang temple nito na Wat Traimit, hindi pa alam ng mga Thai kung anong kayamanan ang nilalaman ng plastered image na ito. Noong inangat ang image during the move, napansin ng mga Thai ang crack sa isang bahagi nito at nasilayan nila ang shining, shimmering, splendid na ginto. And so, they discovered that this is the Golden Sukhothai Buddha Statue. Kinilabutan si Teh nang malaman kong ito ay gawa sa purong 5.5 ton na ginto. (1000 kg = 1 ton). Imagine?  First time in my life kasi na nakakita ako ng isang statue na gawa sa purong ginto. Napakasagana talaga ng Thailand sa ginto. Ginto everywhere!.. $_^

First time to see a shiny statue made of gold...
At first time din ni Teh makainom ng Holy Water. 

Our guide knew that going up here could be very excruciating. Kaya pinayuhan kami ni Robbie na kumuha ng tubig sa pagpanhik namin to see the Golden Buddha. Noong una, I was thinking na iuwi at gamitin sa mga bagay na nangangailangan ng Holy Water ang kinuha naming tubig dito. But in the end, dahil nagkaroon kami ng konting drinking water shortage, ininom din namin ito the following day. Mabuti na lang, at hindi nalusaw si Teh sa pag-inom ng Holy Water. :))))

Thai art... Majestic all the way... :)

Matapos naming bisitahin ang Wat Traimit, the tour for the day had ended. And so, we called it a day. Kung may chance na makabalik sa mga temples na ito, Teh will definitely grab that chance. Thai Temples have really captured Teh's heart. ♥_♥

After the sacred pilgrimage, let's visit the famous markets of Thailand and the mighty elephants nearby! Up next in The Adventures of Teh! Thanks for visiting my travel diary... ^_^

Special thanks to the following people who made the Adventures of Teh in Thailand successful:

• Little Pig's Adventures for some information about Thailand
• Cebu Pacific Air (kahit hindi nila alam) for their promo fares
• Tour Coordinators Matt and Supattra of Travel Hub Thailand
• Tour Guide Robbie and Tour Driver Sakol of Travel Hub Thailand