MBK, Kobune

Citin Pratunam had a complimentary tuktuk service which would take us to the main road. The dropoff point was a few minutes walk away from Ratchatewi Station.



















Had to buy tickets first... Nothing new here.



















I thought these identical buildings looked nice. :)




















This was the station where we boarded on the way to MBK.




































We did arrive at MBK and did a little souvenir shopping. After that we ate at this nice Japanese restaurant, Kobune. Food was superb.






































































They gave us some free dessert of gelato. We were stuffed after the very nice dinner. :)


















:)

The Transfer

On our third day in Bangkok, we wanted to see more of the city and probably do a little shopping, so we booked ourselves at Citin Pratunam. We took a cab from Khao San Road and it took us to this well-hidden street at the Pratunam area.

































Everything was spotless, and there were even cute toiletries in the bathroom, just like the Citin Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.







































Our first destination was Platinum Fashion Mall. We walked through swarms of people doing their shopping. HUGE crowds. I confess to be a shopper, but shopping in this circumstance just wasn't our thing... :)



























































We bought some reloadable cards for Platinum Mall's foodcourt. Didn't care anymore what we were going to eat as we were so hungry already!
































A little dim sum and a huge cup of 7UP :)

















We proceeded back to the hotel after all the shopping chaos to get some rest. :)

Nothing beats a Singha after a long, hot day!!!

We were so drained from the heat after touring the famous wats of Bangkok... We were out of the hotel by dinnertime to look for the perfect restaurant to chill out.

Found it at a big restaurant at the same road as Suk Sabai... Forgot the name though. Food was delicious too -- very tasty but never overpowering.



















































:)

The Beautiful Temple of Dawn, Wat Arun

Wat Arun's full name is actually Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahawihan...

We were following the map/guide that was issued to us after buying the River Ferry Day Pass. It was a little past 12 and we were starting to get hungry, but we were already near Wat Arun so we proceeded anyway.

































After buying tickets we bought ourselves a can of Coke each, for the much-needed sugar boost!


















We were going to do some climbing again!!
























Wat Arun is called the "Temple of Dawn" because it of its beauty when the sun's rays hit its walls during sunrise. There were also chimes hanging on the prangs (towers) which give off relaxing sounds when the wind blows.


















Wat Arun is home to rich details of Chinese soldiers and animals...



























































The steep climb reminded us of our Cambodian experience. Climbing was also a bit scary due to the narrower steps, and vertiginous feeling was heightened by the view of the city.























Ceramic mosaics adorn Wat Arun. The detail on this temple was really beautiful. It seems much attention to detail was really exercised in building and designing it.








































































We took our time enjoying the great panoramic view from the top of the wat...


















Then it was time to go down. I hanged on tight to the railings as the steps down were equally steep as the climb up!!!
























Time to find some lunch :)

Wat Pho -- Temple of the Reclining Buddha

After the Grand Palace, we proceeded to see Wat Pho or the famous Temple of the Reclining Buddha. It is the oldest and largest wat in Bangkok.





















































We had to buy tickets to be able to enter the Reclining Buddha area. Everyone was also required to take their shoes off before entering.



































































































The gold-plated reclining statue of the buddha shows his passing to nirvana. Note that the statue's eyes are made of mother-of-pearl.
























It's a long 46 meters, and you can see various designs and more magnificent carvings while going around it. There is a certain place inside, at the back of the buddha wherein there are 108 brass bowls. You drop coins in each of these bowls which is believed to bring good luck and long life.
























Even the buddha's toes and soles are laid with MOP carvings.


















Can't help but notice that his pillows/headrest were intricately designed as well. So nice :)