Bangkok 6 Wat Phra Kaew & Grand Palace (6/25/2012)

Monday, June 25, 2012
Rather than explore Chinatown and Little India, we elected to go back to the Wat Phra Kaew and Grand Palace that we had been too late to see yesterday.
Your first view is of spires surrounded by a white wall:

Wat Phra Kaew:

Entrance "cone" trees:

Tamiko with a floral garden:

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In front of the Ordination Hall of Wat Phra Kaew:

Not sure who this guy is, we think he is a monk:

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A yaksha/guardian statue:

One of the guardian's shoes:

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Courtyard:

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Roof tiles:

Gallery paintings of the Ramakian (Thai version of the Indian Ramayana epic):

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The ubosot/ordination hall:

Polishing the tiles:

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Kinnari figures (half-human, half-bird) on the outside wall of the ordination hall:

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Inside the ordination hall with the Emerald Buddha (small) on the right:

The Emerald Buddha is actually made of jade and is 66cm/26" tall.
Chinese statues:

Onward to the Upper Terrace with the Golden Chedi:

A chedi is a Thai-style stupa, to house Buddhist relics.
The doorway of the chedi:

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The Mondrop, to house  Buddhist scriptures:

Mondrop details:

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Gold tiles:

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You are not allowed to wear shorts or capris in the temple or palace area, so they rent sarongs to wear:

or baggy fisherman's pants for men.
Elephant memorials:

A model of Angkor Wat of Cambodia:

The Royal Pantheon:

Kent with a rooster (?) guard:

The Scripture Library with the finest facade in Bangkok:

A golden stupa:

Being held up by these figures:

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The "twin-couple" must be Chinese!

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The Kuan Im/Guanyin/Goddess of Mercy Shrine:

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One of Kuan Im's cows:

A Buddha on which worshippers were placing small squares of gold leaf:

Mosaic-tiled wall:

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Belfry:

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Belfry mosaic tiles:

From Wat Phra Kaew, we entered the Grand Palace area.
Grand Palace guards:

The Thai Royalty have moved to a newer palace.
Borom Phiman Mansion:

Roof tilers on the Amarindra Hall:

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Groundskeepers:

Chakri Maha Prasat Hall:

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Students:

The Phra Maha Monthian Complex:

Chakri Maha Prasat Hall:

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Guard and elephant statue:

Kent tests the sharpness of the elephant's tusk:

The whole of Chakri Maha Prasat Hall:

Kent at a gate to Dusit Hall:

Gate doors:

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Tamiko at a door:

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Dusit Hall:

Rooflines:

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A Kinnari:

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A topiary Kinnari:

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A bird streetlight:

We took the Chao Phraya River commuter boat back to Chinatown.
Waterfront property:

Back at the Hua Lamphong Railway Station:

Built in 1916 in Italian Neo-Renaissance style, designed by Italian Mario Tamagno.