'Wais and Wats'

We were made very welcome in the hotel in Bangkok, ie there was a lot of wai-ing, you know putting your hands as if you are praying and bowing a lot. Where you actually place your hands and how much you bow depends on how you perceive your status in relation to the other person.

There was lots of wildlife by the pool, beautiful creatures of all sizes and shapes, though not many as slim and lithe as the one in the photo!

What now of the Wats! We saw three of them: Arun(above), Pho and Taimat. They were all spectacular in their own ways. Arun was grey and threatening, Pho was the most colourful in the biggest site and with the 150 foot reclining Buddha(below left) whilst Taimat boasted the tallest, 4 metres, solid gold Buddha(below right). Our visits were on public holidays and the sites were packed with worshippers paying homage(and cash) to claim 'merits' to  the various individual and lines of Buddhas, practices that may be seen in any muslim temple or christian cathedral, which we found surprising, given the non-theistic nature of their beliefs.