NotSoSolo Trip Bangkok (June 2024) - Emerald Buddha and Inspiration

 

Once the tour has ended, I headed to look for the Emerald Buddha temple. My aunt has asked that I go see it, cause she said it was just beautiful. And so I did. It wasn't hard to find, it's the temple with the most people trying to get in! No shoes are allowed, so you have to take them off. I have bought a plastic bag with me, so I took off mine and placed them in my bag. I wasn't gonna risk losing my shoes! Once barefoot, I fight my way up these stairs into the temple of the Emerald Buddha.

It was surprisingly a very small temple. I mean, I was expecting a huge hall seeing how popular it is. But as you can see on top, the left side is the entry, and the right side the exit. In the middle door, if you look in, you can see the Emerald Buddha. No photography is allowed inside.

But! With the power of zoom lens, I managed to get this photo from outside looking in. That golden statue there is the Emerald Buddha. Yes, it's rather small. But it's placed up high so everyone can see it. And it's gold and green, so it shine brightly. It was rather beautiful. Most people walk in, see the Buddha, and walked out. I actually spend almost half an hour inside. You can actually sit down in front of the Buddha like any other temple, and just meditate, or admire the Buddha. That was what I did. And It was a rather peaceful moment in that space and time. 

Exiting the temple, there are more decorated pieces. What I can assume is a black guarding dog? Or maybe a kirin?

Again, lots of gold, lots of glass at this window panel. 

The outside corridor of the Emerald Buddha temple with it's high decorated pillar. So many people here....

But here's me anyway. A selfie with the golden Garudas.

Before I left the inner palace ground, I went to look for the miniature model of Angkor Wat. I wanted to take a photograph of it. 

It was a full model. Something the King commissioned, because he can't build the full thing here in Thailand. All he could do was build a miniature of it. And I stood there looking at it. At that time, I didn't know when I would ever see the real Angkor Wat. I've always wanted to visit. But no one seems to be interested to go with me. 

So I took this photo in June 2024, as an inspiration to myself that one day, I will go visit and see the real thing. Forward 2 months, August 2024, I've kept that promised to myself. It wasn't planned or anything. A friend happens to be headed to Siem Reap, and I asked if I could join him. Interestingly, my husband, who has rejected me countless times to go Angkor, also decided to join us there. And on my second day in Siem Reap, I finally saw the real Angkor Wat. That feeling of being there, no words could described how I felt. Do you believe in fate? Do you believe in dreams? Do you believe in yourself? 

I leave you here with one of my favourite quote from Bodhidharma : When you don't understand, you depend on reality. When you do understand, reality depends on you. This quote blew my mind when I finally understood it :)