Our two days in and around Bangkok were filled with some late mornings and sightseeing. Brandon was a bit under the weather, so I spent the first day visiting Wat Pho (the reclining Buddha), the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. All were pretty amazing. The Wat Pho complex is huge, but I am pretty sure I walked the same circle about 5 times. The reclining Buddha was huge and pretty cool to see. But one of the most unique parts was that the bottoms of the feet were fancy. The biggest downside was the sea of tourists I was swimming through.

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After lunch I saw the Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

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After the reclining Buddha I was ready for a big sculpture, but it is only 66 centimeters (just more than 2 feet) tall. However it does know how to accessorize. It apparently has an different outfit for the summer, rainy and winter seasons. (After wearing the same clothes for the past 3 months, I found this pretty impressive.)

I tried to make my way to the palace, but again was fighting a swarm of tourists. I never made my way inside – but I did get a good shot of the place.

Being in Thailand in the wake of the former king’s recent death has been interesting. There are photos of him and black and white/gray decorations throughout the country. There is a song dedicated to him, moments of silence in movie theaters, and even splash pages on some websites all honoring him and his service. (He seemed like a pretty awesome king to be honest.) Many Thai citizen are still wearing black, or a black ribbon, as a sign of mourning. But in this area I was overwhelmed by the number of people clad in head to toe black. (I was melting in shorts!) I later learned that the King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s body is still in the palace and the Thai people come through to see him and pay their respects. I am glad I didn’t mistakenly fall in line with that group trying to get into the palace, but I am sure it is incredibly beautiful.

TIP: If you plan to go – shorts are not allowed. Even men in shorts. Your knees and shoulders must be covered. You need pants for Wat Pho as well. Some places let you borrow shawls or robes (as you can see in my photo with the reclining Buddha), but it is good to carry light clothing with you to cover up when you visit these sites.