Walking the Eight Fold Path

We didn't plan anything for the first day, since we didn't know how jet-lagged the parents would be and we didn't want to overwhelm them. But thanks to a little friend called 'sleeping pills', they were both up for whatever adventure we had in store. So, I called up a contact in the transportation industry (I know a guy...) and we rented a 'rod-tuu' and we headed into Bangkok.

We wanted to start the day out by currying favor with the gods. So we headed off to the Thewet pier, bought a 20 baht bag of stale bread and fed the fish in the river. Then we had a nice lunch at 'S&P' restaurant, since the parents are only interested in 'authentic' Thai cuisine. When the van dropped us off in front of Wat Phrakaew, street vendors descended upon Morg like fisherman on a breakfast burrito. This one guy followed him for about ten minutes trying to sell a series of postcards.

The happy family in front of the golden stupa at Wat Phrakaew, the most sacred site in the Thai kingdom. The temple site has wall murals, statues, and a magnificent model of Angkor Wat, part of Thailand's attempt to solidify its claim as the true heirs to the great Khmer legacy.

After visiting the Grand Palace, we headed over to Wat Arun. The Temple of the Dawn is located on the Thon Buri side of the river, so we all piled on to the ferry. This is my favorite picture of the day, I just think it frames the water bottle so beautifully in front of the scenic backdrop.







We climbed up to the lower level of Wat Arun and admired the view. Realizing that a majority of the world's population is non-Christian can really challenge one's convictions. Here is Morg at his most introspective, pondering that great mystery of the universe - exactly how much will this vacation cost me?