Temple Addiction

 It doesn’t take long in Bangkok to realise it’s a city of temples, and I mean lots of them.  These range from the small and hidden away to the large, grand and frankly spectacular. 

Wandering the streets of the Thai capital you stumble across countless little local temples, oases of calm in amongst the frenetic city life. 

On arrival in Thailand, each discovery of a new hidden gem is an exciting find, however this doesn’t last.  Like an addict who gets used to the hit, you find that more is needed to thrill you.  So you move on to something bigger and better, and in Bangkok that means Wat Pho and the Royal Palace.

Not only is the scale of the buildings increased, but also the intricacy, and decoration.  The Royal Palace, a complex of many gilded buildings, glistens brilliantly with gold.

Now this is a sufficient step up in temple quality to keep me sated for a while, but soon enough another thrill is needed.  Having more or less reached the peak of Bangkok’s temple offering that meant heading north.  Ayuthaya is only a short train ride sat on uncomfortable wooden benches designed for the smaller Thais.

It’s a former capital city, although that seems a distant memory as I cross the narrow muddy river from the train station to the town.  A tuk-tuk driver, having despatched me to my hostel then got extra business from me by taking me on a tour of the local sights. 

The temple viewing goes up a notch or two in the form of a giant reclining Buddha resplendent in his orange gown in one of many sites just out of town.  As night falls I climb the steps of Wat Phu Kao Thong for a magnificent view, enhanced by a street party going past complete with several elephants.

By now, it takes quite a lot to thrill me temple wise, as those earlier impressive small temples register no more than a brief nod from me as I wander past.  Next stop Chiang Mai, an overnight train ride northwards.

Chiang Mai’s magnificent temple offering is Doi Suthep, atop a hillside adjacent to the city.  The lead up to the temple is through a tree and shop lined road winding up the hillside, then up a staircase with giant golden snakes for banisters.  The temple complex with many elaborate golden structures sparkles brightly in the sunshine, and its setting high on the hills over the town make it superior to anything I’ve yet seen.

It will take quite something to thrill me yet further, but if the first temples I saw in Bangkok were the equivalent of a few tokes on a spliff, then visiting Angkor Wat in Cambodia about a week later was the injected straight into your veins pure heroin of temples.  The complex is magnificent with an other worldly feel, and the main temple stands proud, drawing your attention constantly. 

How can I top that?  The search will go on.