Wat Pho

 

Wat Pho was a gorgeous wat near the canal. There are many buildings, gardens, and several temples with gold Buddha statues inside.

 

Each building had brighlty colored tile and gold that sparkled in the sun.

 

The compound was shaped like a square, and all along the outside walls are statues of Buddha. This, as we learned, is a common architectural theme in wats.

 

When entering a wat, this is my usual procedure: I remove my shoes, put them on the gigantic pile at the door and hope I remember where they are. Then, I walk quietly behind any worshippers, kneel on my knees before Buddha, and sit reverently for a few minutes. When nobody is looking, I quickly snap a couple photos. It's allowed, but it's still kind of rude. It's not like Thai people are tromping into Lutheran churches every Sunday taking our picture. Then again, if we erected a bunch of killer Martin Luther statues, maybe they would.