We arrived in the bustling Bangkok again, this time with pride, as my wife was invited to a prestigious professional event, where she also received an important award. Our accommodation was at the Swissôtel, where the attentiveness of the staff impressed us from the very first moment. Since my wife’s birthday was approaching, they awaited us in our room with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and delicious cakes.
While my wife was attending the multi-day conference, our daughter and I took on the city. We dedicated one day to repaying an old debt: I finally visited a dear friend of mine, whom I had been preparing to meet for years. He lives about 50 kilometers from Bangkok, so it was a great opportunity to see a more authentic side of Thailand outside the metropolis.
Of course, we couldn’t miss the night market. Amidst the vibrant lights and smells, we shopped for all kinds of local specialties and exotic delicacies so that we could bring home a piece of the flavors of the outside world for our friends.
We visited many wonderful places, but the biggest impression we had was undoubtedly the giant reclining Buddha statue in the Wat Pho temple. It was a surreal experience to walk past the 46-meter-long and 15-meter-high, gold-plated figure. The statue symbolizes the Buddha’s falling asleep and entering Nirvana. The feet are special works of art: they are decorated with mother-of-pearl inlays and depict 108 different spiritual symbols. Next to the statue are 108 bronze pots, into which visitors throw coins in the hope of good luck – the ringing sounds provide continuous, meditative music for the temple.
