Temple of Dawn and the National Museum

After returning from my trip to Thailand and Cambodia over the weekend, I have been posting photos from Bangkok. So far I have covered the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. The next location I visited last Friday was Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn. Wat Arun is currently being renovated and the main temple is covered in scaffolding. To get there, I took a boat for 3 Baht (about 8 cents) across the Chao Phraya River from Wat Pho to Wat Arun.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Small tour boat on the Chao Phraya.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Wat Arun, 22 Apr 2016.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Wat Arun, 22 Apr 2016.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Wat Arun, 22 Apr 2016.

Wat Arun has brilliant white tiles and white statues throughout the site. The temple is also quite striking at night, although I was not able to get any photos of Wat Arun in the evening hours. I visited on an especially hot day. Thailand has been experiencing a heat wave, with daily temperatures at or over 100 each day. It was about 100 while I was walking around. After finishing at Wat Arun, I took the boat back over to Wat Pho and walked to the National Museum, which was close to my hotel.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Dharma wheel at National Museum.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Buddha protected by Naga, 7-headed snake. 

The National Museum was amazing. The galleries contain exhibits covering Thai history as well as regional influences of Buddhist arts. I was in awe of the Phra Sihing Buddha Buddhaisawan Chapel, with its floor to ceiling paintings and Golden Buddha in the center of the room.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Phra Sihing Buddha, National Museum.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Paintings at the National Museum.

Once I had visited the National Museum, I took a break from the heat and then returned to my hotel to pack for a return to the BKK international airport and my short flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Many pictures to follow from Angkor Wat.