Sunday brought a pilgrimage – or rather a short taxi ride – to two local temples. The first, The Grand Palace, was home to not only to the Emerald Buddha, but also the emperor. Now the Emerald Buddha lives there alone surrounded by hordes of tourists, and the faithful. (It is not tough to tell the difference.)

The Grand Palace is a collection of ornate buildings, which from a distance dazzle the visitor. Intricate designs in vibrant colors give flight to imagination. However, the workmanship suffers upon closer inspection. The construction may be a function of withstanding the weather – or simply art over workmanship.

The Emerald Buddha is pretty stunning considering that it is carved from a solid block of Jade. It sits atop a tall throne made of gilded wood called a Busabok. The carving is clad in one of three outfits depending on the season (summer, rainy season and winter). When the season changes the King comes to the monastery and changes the outfit.

While the jade carving was impressive, I was far more taken with the art on the walls. Images of monkey-like warriors, gods and people cover every square inch. Each scene tells the story of gods, of conquest and of ancient battles.

Erynn and I made our way through the temple grounds to the Grand Palace. This structure, though still Thai, was distinctly more European looking. Part of the Palace compound was closed to all foreigners as the King’s sister, who passed away January is lying in state for 11 months.

After the Grand Palace we met up with Tony and walked to Wat Phra Chetuphon, the temple housing the reclining Buddha. The grounds here are beautiful, relaxed and open. Outside the temple a water feature tumbling into a coy pond was a welcome spot to rest and cool off.

The gilded Buddha is 150′ long and nearly 50′ tall. Again while the Buddha was impressive, the art on the walls was captivating. Will have to do some internet research to learn some of the stories! As you exit the main hall there are small metal containers lining the wall – where, for a small donation, you can pick up a small bowl filled with .25 baht coins. For good luck you drop a coin in each container as you exit the building. I’m not sure what it means…but I came up short by four containers…