Cambodian/Thai snapshot: Royal palaces

While I was exploring Phnom Penh and Bangkok I had the opportunity to visit the royal palaces of each country. This was the first time I had been to an Asian palace with its pagoda styled buildings, gold roof coverings and spires. They are incomparable to the palaces you find in europe except in the sense that they are a way to show off the wealth of a country's leaders. In that sense I'd have to say that the Thai royal family is definitely better off then that of Cambodia. The thing to see in Phnom Penh is the silver pagoda, which is almost completely covered in carpets except for a small square to protect the floor and the jade Buddha which resides inside. In Bangkok it was the details which made the palace so absorbing. Giant guardians looming on either side of a gate. Well preserved murals sharing pieces of history and mythology. Gold rooster dragon mix statues. Statues carrying the weight of a spire. Of course it also had its own spectacular pagoda pavilions covered in gold details and gems. When you walk through the gates to either of these two places it is clear that this is not a "normal" person's residence. You can only hope that your jaw doesn't drop and stay open at the ornateness of the palaces of the royal families of these two countries.

Thailand Snapshot: Reclining Buddha

At the end of my winter break (yes, I am still posting about winter break, but I'm convinced I'm going to finish with this before I leave for the summer in a week) I spent a couple of days visiting with a friend in Bangkok. He took me out to see some of the sights one of the days and I have to say going with someone who knows a place is great! Partly because I didn't have to worry about how to get to anywhere or where I was going, but also because I had no idea of what we were going to go see so everything was a surprise. My favorite surprise was when he took me to Wat Pho. Wat Pho is known as the origin of Thai massage, but that is not what caught my attention. Under a pavillion there is an enormous reclining Buddha. And I do mean enormous. It measures 43 meters long (about 129 ft) with  feet that are 4 1/2 meters (13.5 ft) alone. Once your eyes land on the graceful gold Buddha it is hard to take in anything else at the temple. As we walked around I couldn't draw my eyes away. Definitely different from what there is to see at most other temples!