After four wonderful years living and working in Scotland, we have returned home to Thailand.
Back in the Buddhist World . . . and happy about it.
The Wat Poh Reclining Buddha almost completely fills the Wat it occupies.
So powerful in it's grandeur.
The Wat Poh Buddha at rest.
Wat Poh, and its Reclining Buddha image, is my favorite place in Bangkok. My friend John Stiles and I went there on my second day back in Thailand.
The lower legs were under repair . . . but the feet were exposed. Amazing.
Wat Pho is a great place to just wander around . . .
There is always something interesting just around the corner at Wat Poh.
The grounds of Wat Poh hold many temple structures.
What to do with too many donated fans?
Buddhas. Lots of Buddha images at Wat Poh.
A monk ghost in the Buddha Hall.
So many beautiful Buddha images in Wat Poh.
I am always surprised to discover that there will be one Buddha that I relate to more than all the others. This one seemed special to me.
Night fell on Wat Poh . . .
What a fantastic place!
My friend John is always on the lookout for the perfect photo.
A calm and peaceful place on the first night of 'Buddhist Lent.'
Pilgrims walking around the temple, candles lit.
The lights went on the chedis of Wat Poh.
We wandered for hours among the structures of Wat Poh that evening and into the night.
The moods of the spaces changed as it grew darker.
Wat Poh is filled with interesting structures. I would like to learn the significance and history or each.
You cannot believe our own eyes; the beauty!
Interesting shadows everywhere.
We walked out of Wat Poh and into the dark streets of Old Bangkok. 10:30pm and still 31c. Fantastic to walk around Bangkok at night. We headed toward the river nearby.
Wat Arun across the Chao Praya River. The dock at right is for the river 'taxis' - actually river busses. I was going to take one home up the river (one hour) but the service had stopped already.
Wat Arun.
Restaurant cruise boats passed by.
We both knew of a small restaurant along the old piers that line the river.
A very laid back waiter took care of us: beer, then rice and minced pork with chilies.
Don't look too close at the kitchen . . . just enjoy what comes out of it. We did.
I am always in the histories that are revealed in the old surfaces . . . this old wooden shop house still had vestiges of past generations hung about here and there.
The old and the new. That Pepsi salesman really gets around!!
We walked out the way we came in . . . through this wooden hall leading us off the dock and into the Bangkok night.
Dark, old space.
The Royal Palace, Wat Phra Kaew, is next to Wat Poh and is always a busy area of Bangkok. Tourists sped through the night on a wild tuk-tuk ride.
Late night tourists engage in selfie-taking behaviors in front of the palace walls. John and I did the same!!!
It was a beautiful night to be out walking along the palace walls.
At around 11:00 we started to flag taxis to see if they wre interested in taking us to our different parts of the city . . . several didn't, but eventually we each secured a taxi.
Dr. Jeff Harper
