Wat to Do!!!

Wat (Thai for Temple) Saket has an adjoining school and stands next to The Golden Mount.  This is the beautiful temple that can be seen from our hotel room window.  Brightly golden lit at night it stands high above the city and resides between the Khlong Mahanak and Ong Ang.  Fred and I walked Khlong Mahanak whilst the residents went about their daily business.  Trees and plants hung high, and low, along the pathway and there is truly not much between yourself and the dark depths of the Khlong below, so we walked tentatively along the pathway and watched for loose paving underfoot and plants overhead. 

The Golden Mount & Wat Saket

Riverboats passed at speed sending laps of black water waves our way… we continued until we were unable to walk further along the path and cut through an alleyway to the main road. This alleyway was an outdoor launderette complete with washing machines and soap dispensing machines. Stools, and benches lined the opposite wall for the ladies to sit and watch their wash. No different to home, just “open air” lol… fascinating…

We came out onto the main road and found ourselves a few steps from The Golden Mount… an opportunity not to be missed I proceeded to work my way towards both Wat Saket and The Golden Mount with Fred in tow.  Fred isn’t "into" temples and the like, and the thought of climbing the temple steps in the humid heat was enough for him to park his bottom on a bench alongside a plethora of monks gaily chatting together.  Fascinated, I left him to make the climb alone.  With a little over 300 steps sloping gently upwards I make the climb alongside beautiful trees, flora and waterfalls.  Buddhist graves are sited upwards in amongst the undergrowth and small golden Buddha statues and floral tributes can be seen if one peers through the trees.  At every step and turn ascending you can take in the views of the City below and beyond. 

Very large Prayer bells line walls and smaller ones are dedicated to persons passed into a new life.  All very surreal and unusually peaceful considering the manic city beyond.  I would have stayed much longer, but Fred was waiting for me down in the foliage and when I eventually reappeared 1 ¼ hours later, he looked almost relieved although did say he’d had fun watching the monastic antics going on alongside him.  I don’t know where Fred thought the brightly adorned monks hailed from but was surprised that they used mobile phones, stood and chatted happily and loudly and were obviously not the type of monk he’d grown up knowing in books and newspapers… lol… methinks Fred needs some Buddhist reading material… !

Sawadee ka!