Bangkok part two (photo heavy again)

The next day we decided to take it easy as my knee was still very sore so we stayed around the apartment for most of the morning and when my painkillers had started to work set off to a craft shop I had found on the internet after having a quick photo shoot on the roof.

The park you can see behind me is called Lumphini Park. The skyline is spectacular from the roof top, but you can still see what was left from the morning smog.
I had a great time at the craft shop getting a few bits but the prices were the same as in the UK so I didn't get a lot, and I knew I would be going to the big market in a few days. On the way back to the apartment we nipped into Tesco, well you have to don't you? We got a few bits and headed home as we had planed to have a look at the local night market.
On the way to the market we got lost in the park! I had said it would be easer going around the outside but was overruled, we got there in the end. There was some lovely silk souvenirs but they all looked like they had come from the same factory in China, there was also some great original works that I would of loved to bring back we me but it would not of been possible. I would of added some photos here but Hal brought the camera but forgot the card for it! While in the market Hal decided he would like a foot massage, so we stopped at what looked like a popular place and asked. This place also did a fish massage so I thought I would give that a go! How can you forget that you have ticklish feet? I put my feet into a tank full of small fish and started to scream with laughter, people came from all the other stalls to see what was happening. While this was going on Hal was getting his feet done by a very attractive trans gender! Very well made up, long hair, tattoos and mussels. It was a fun time but we had to head back as Jon was picking his girlfriend up from the airport and we were meeting them at the apartment. After waiting for almost an hour over the time they were expected we got a text to say the taxi had been involved in a fairly nasty accident that had written of the car but that they were ok and on there way home. Fortunately they weren't seriously hurt and we stayed up talking until 4 in the morning.

The next day we decided to go and see some of the sights and I came face to face with my first Buddha.

I was so impressed with this, the whole room was so brightly painted and the ceiling was so high. We walked into the next room and found the reason for the high ceiling.

This guy is over 4 meters tall, you can see where the door frames are so that will give you some idea. But this was not to be the biggest Buddha we were to see that day. We went on to see the standing Buddha, this guy is a amazing 18 meters tall.......

I did learn something that day about praying to Buddha. All the shrines have a small bundle of incense sticks for sale, the bundle comes with a candle and a small piece of gold leaf. You light the incense and hold all three sticks in the palms of your hands as if praying, move them from your chest to your head three times then plant them in the sand box in front of the statue. You then light the candle and add this to the candle area (don't know what it is called), and you then go up to the Buddha and touch the gold leaf to it. I found this very fascinating if a bit odd as it leaves the Buddha's looking as if it has psoriasis.

You cant see it to well on this but if you look close this is what it looks like.

And just one last photo for today of the Temple cat.

He was the most evil looking cat I have ever seen.

Will post again soon with more.

Thanks for reading,
 Cath