Ko Kret เกาะเกร็ด

a chedi

Ko Kret is one of Thailand's often-forgotten islands, and that's just how the people like it. It didn't have more than a brief mention in my guide book, but I had heard interesting things about Ko Kret, and I wanted to check it out. It's one of those places that you don't hear much about if you're only a tourist.

Ko Kret's iconic leaning chedi

Ko Kret isn't anything like Ko Larn or Ko Tao. There are no beaches, it's not out at sea, and in fact it's not a natural island at all. It was formed in the early days of Bangkok when the Thai government decided to build a channel as a shortcut bypassing a long loop in the Chao Phraya River, cutting Kret off from the mainland in 1722. The island maintains its own life and culture.

I met my friend Ja and her mother at Bangkok's Victory Monument early on Sunday morning, and we took the air-conditioned 166 bus to Pak Kret, the area just across the river from the island. Although not technically in Bangkok (Ko Kret is in the neighboring Nonthaburi Province), the city bus still services this area, and it only took about twenty minutes to get there. From Pak Kret pier, a five-minute, five baht ferryboat ride takes you to the island of Ko Kret.

Ko Kret is a really special place. It's fairly unknown, especially to foreigners. The island has a few small villages, temples, restaurants, and shops. The villages are known for maintaining a fairly traditional lifestyle; there are no cars on the island, only bicycles and motorbikes.

The residents of Ko Kret are descended from the Mon people of Burma, and some of the signs on the island were actually written in Burmese. The food is unique too, as it also carries some Burmese influence. For breakfast we had khanom jeen, noodles in sweet peanut sauce. Although the name literally translates to "Chinese dessert," it's neither a dessert nor Chinese. After breakfast we tried a coconut-jelly dessert at a little open-air coffee shop called Country Coffee. I was met by a familiar and unexpected sight decorating the wall of this cowboy-themed cafe.

The villages in Ko Kret are famous for their pottery. We walked past one workshop where traditional unglazed clay statues sat waiting to be organized and sold. It seemed like every shop we passed was selling little ceramic cups, mugs, or tea sets.

a pottery village workshop

There is a path that circles the island, but we thought the best way to see everything was by boat. For 50 baht we got tickets on a boat that would stop at some of the island's highlights. I was pleased to notice that I was the only foreigner! Even many Thai people haven't been to Ko Kret before. It was nice traveling with my Thai friend. Since most of the signs were in Thai or Burmese, and many of the local people didn't speak any English, having a Thai speaker along made the outing easy and stress-free.

As the boat pulled away from Ko Kret pier, we got a closer look at the island's most famous landmark, which we had seen earlier from across the river. Ko Kret has several of these white structures known as stupas (or chedis, as they are known in Thailand) wrapped in red cloth. A chedi is a structure that contains important Buddhist relics or ashes. This one is unique though, as it's noticeably leaning towards the river.

the leaning chedi

The other side of the river offered some interesting views too, including a giant golden seated Buddha.

Nonthaburi Big Buddha

We stopped briefly at a floating market where we tried some fried herb balls (that taste much better than they sound). The next stop was "dessert canal," a small area where the people make traditional Thai desserts, most famously an orange stringy dessert that I forget the name of. It's very sweet!

The boat ride took about an hour to circle the island, stopping at a few more shops and village areas. One place we visited was a workshop where the people used colored dyes and white wax to paint the leaning chedi image (as well as other scenes of Ko Kret) on canvas.

across the river

We were very lucky that the day was sunny and not too hot. A cool breeze blew in over the water, and it really was very nice outside. The best part about Ko Kret was that despite being so near to downtown, the air was much cleaner and fresher. It was nice to be somewhere green for a change!

I was really intrigued by the leaning chedi, but we never found out much information about it. The signs didn't tell us anything. I guess its just famous for its strange tilt. I'm sure it's not intentional. We got back to Victory Monument the same way we got to Ko Kret, on the 166. Bangkok isn't too hard to get around, but it helps to know the bus routes. Besides helping to understand some of the language, culture, and history, that's another reason it's great to travel with a local!

my friends on the boat

Loha Prasat

HM King Rama III

This Sunday I returned to one of the first places that I visited when I moved to Bangkok last year. The first time I came to Wat Rachanadda the Loha Prasat, or "metal castle," was closed for renovations. My first visit was uneventful, although I wrote a post about it. What I called the "Black Temple" is really the Loha Prasat, a structure of five concentric square levels, the first, third, and fifth adorned in thirty-seven black iron spires. Each of these spires represents one of thirty-seven virtues taught by the Buddha. It's the only remaining of its kind in the world. Just like going to Wat Saket, I had to take the smelly khlong boat. I actually enjoy it, though. I've been the only foreigner almost every time I've taken it.

The Loha Prasat appears on the back of the five-hundred baht note, so it's a significant landmark in Bangkok, but one that seems to often be forgotten. It's near the Golden Mount, not far from the Democracy Monument and Khao San Road. My guidebook mentioned that there were plenty of locals willing to act as a guide. The book even recommended talking to one of them, since this strange-looking "metal castle" is full of symbolism. Since I'm not Thai or Buddhist, and since I was by myself, I thought that maybe hiring a guide was a good idea. It wasn't hard to find one. A man was relaxing in the shade as I approached the complex.

"Where are you from?" he asked.

"USA."

"Ah, you know Boston? Our king was born there!"

The man took me first into the main sanctuary hall. There was one woman praying alone, and my guide quietly explained the meaning behind the beautifully decorated blue room. The room was decorated with images of heaven, where colorful gilded angels hovered over fluffy clouds. There were also images of Chinese figures guarding the windows and doors, and beside the portrait of HM the King, there were several clocks at the alter. My guide told me that to the Chinese, time is money. 

"Why so much Chinese?" he asked rhetorically. "Because the Third King loved Chinese art, and the Chinese paid a lot of money for this temple!" he proudly told me.

inside the main sanctuary hall

There have been three Loha Prasats in history. The first is said to have been built in India during Buddha's lifetime. There are ruins of what some believe to be this original semi-legendary structure, although no real solid evidence of it has been found.

The second was built in Sri Lanka around 156 BC. This temple was destroyed by Muslim forces several hundred years ago, and now only the ruins remain.

This third Loha Prasat was ordered to be build in 1846 by HM King Rama III, and its home is Wat Rachanadda in Bangkok. 

As you work your way up the different levels in the building, you pass the thirty-seven Buddha statues, each one unique. Some are standing, some sitting, a few rest under the seven-headed naga snake. Some are Thai, some Khmer, some in the style of other temples Phitsonulok or Sukothai, or even of Angkor Wat (which although pre-Buddhist later gave its influence to a lot of Buddhist art). Each statue is set in a nook underneath one of the black spires, and each represents a different virtue from a different sermon or lesson taught by Buddha.

some of the thirty-seven Buddha images

There weren't many people at the temple that day. I saw a few tourists taking pictures, and some Thai people sitting to meditate or read books. One level of the temple was a library level, and there were short bookshelves next to the statues and couches for people to sit on and read about Buddhism.

black spires of Loha Prasat

This temple isn't as tall as Wat Saket, but from the top you could still get a decent view across the city. Closer to the top, we could see the tops of the lower spires. My guide showed me how the triangular shapes represented Garuda's fight with a giant snake. He also told me about the Hindu gods Bhrama, Vishnu (Rama), and Shiva, the creator, protector, and destroyer respectively. The Chakri kings of Thailand are given the title "Rama" because some people believe them to be re-incarnations of Vishnu, and the protectors of Thailand.

the main sanctuary hall

I hadn't thought much about this place after my first visit last year, but since returning to Bangkok last month, I've been thinking about going to see it again. This time, I learned why it had been closed before. The iconic "Black Temple" won't be black for much longer. They're in the process of redesigning the spires to be golden. The top has already been gilded, and thats what they were working on last year. Artist's renderings showed what the temple is supposed to look like all in gold. It really changes the feel of the place and made it feel much lighter and brighter.

I don't know what the reasoning is, although I'm sure there must be one. The black spires make for an iconic image. I'm sure it'll look impressive all in gold, but I know it won't have the same quiet, subdued, almost somber and monastic feel that it has now.

Maybe they want this temple to gain the recognition that its shinier and better-know neighbor Wat Saket has. Don't get me wrong, the Golden Mount (visible from the top of the Loha Prasat) is one of my favorite sites I've been to see in Bangkok, but it's got a different atmosphere from this place.

the Golden Mount

When we descended from the top, I paid my guide B100, and he bought both of us electrolyte drinks since it was really hot and sunny. He told me that he was the "Thai Rambo" and very strong. This guy was quite a character, and I had to take a picture with him.

my guide, "Thai Rambo"

He pointed me towards the "Buddha Market" in the shadow of the temple, where vendors sell amulets, prayer beads, and other religious paraphernalia, and I spent a few minutes wandering amongst the crowded stalls, not really knowing what anything was.

Rambo called this the "Buddha Market", but it's really the famous "Amulet Market," which I'm told one of the most reputable places to buy authentic Thai amulets, although you can find almost anything of religious significance there.

It was bright, sunny, and hot when I left the temple, but by the time I had taken the khlong boat back to Siam Square, the sky was getting dark. I got back to my apartment as the first heavy drops of rain were beginning to fall. As I got closer to my apartment, the sky filled with even darker clouds, and the wind picked up. Luckily I got inside just in time before a massive monsoon storm hit, really the first big one of the season. It looks like it's that time of year again! In fact, we're nearing Vassa Day, the start of "Buddhist Lent," when monks return to their home monastery for the rainy season.

The Land of Smiles

Thailand is known as the "Land of Smiles" and rightly so. It's the warmest and friendliest place I've ever been. In fact, Thai has thirteen different words for thirteen different types of smiles! 

An illustration of this friendly and welcoming culture comes from my visit to Pattaya's Sanctuary of Truth. I've mentioned before about how one of my new colleagues is naturally outgoing and insists upon talking to everyone he meets. As we were walking to the Sanctuary, we passed a pair of monks who were just leaving. I've never been comfortable around monks, because they always seem so serious and they have so many rules to follow, although I'm sure that they're personally very friendly. One of the monks that comes to speak sometimes at morning assembly at my school is apparently really funny, as he keeps the students laughing for his entire morning talks.

This pair of monks seemed stern and serious, but my friend decided that he wanted a picture with them in front of the Sanctuary of Truth. My other colleagues and I groaned collectively when he started talking to them, but they politely agreed to pose for a photo with us. After our tour guide snapped a photo, the older of the two monks reached into a pocket in his robe for his own small point-and-shoot digital camera. 

"Maybe just one more picture", he said, grinning. Sometimes I'm still surprised at how friendly Thai people always seem to be once you take the time to talk to them.

The Sanctuary of Truth

By early afternoon, my friends were fading fast. After a late night Friday traveling to Pattaya follwing a long work week, a day on the beach Saturday, and an early morning on Sunday to meet me at Wat Phra Yai, they were tired and almost ready to go back to Bangkok. Our taxi left Buddha Mountain and took us north of Pattaya to the strange and utterly impressive Sanctuary of Truth. I'm glad that we saw these three sites in the order that we did, as each was exponentially more impressive than the last.

meeting a friend

When the taxi dropped us off, only one other person and I wanted to actually see the legendary Sanctuary of Truth. The others were put off by the entry fee, and didn't seem all that interested in it anyway. Signs told us there was a restaurant overlooking the sea, and I suggested we at least have some lunch before heading back. As we sat on the hilltop patio, we got our first view of this remarkable structure. We decided instantly that we had to go inside.

our first view of the Sanctuary

The man behind the Sanctuary of Truth is Mr. Lek Viriyaphanat, an eccentric Thai millionaire, the same man behind the Erawan Museum in Bangkok. His idea was to create a structure entirely out of teakwood representing spiritual truths, ancient visions of earth, and Eastern philosophy. The project also helped to preserve Southeast Asia's ancient woodcarving heritage.

workshop

Guided tours are mandatory, as is wearing a hardhat, since the site is still under construction. The project began in 1981, and although it is supposed to be completed by 2025, the wooden structure's proximity to the wet, salty sea air means it must be under constant repair. Our first stop was a workshop where Burmese craftsmen were designing and carving the teakwood into beautiful and intricate designs. They even let me try my hand at carving a fold on Buddha's robe, although luckily the worker was right there with me to prevent me from doing any damage.

trying my hand at woodcarving

The Sanctuary of Truth is made entirely out of teakwood. There is not even a single metal nail on the 100 meter high building. The exterior is completely covered in carved figures. Four wings represent four traditional spiritual cultures and art styles; Indian, Khmer, Thai, and Chinese respectively.

My personal favorite was the Chinese wing.

the Chinese Wing

The guide explained that the Sanctuary of Truth has to be under constant repair. Built on the beach, it reminds me in a way of the man who built his house upon the sand. In this case it's a temple, although the choice was purposeful. Our guide explained that the temple's constant decay and reconstruction was symbolic of life's impermanence, and to me it seemed to invoke the Buddhist doctrine of re-incarnation and the cyclical nature of the universe.

carvings adorning the Chinese Wing

"I'm going to tell you the truth," the guide told us as we entered into the first (Indian) Wing. It is the oldest part of the sanctuary, and the dark wood stain on the exterior has been purposefully allowed to fade in the past thirty years, despite the constant upkeep.

The inside was beautifully carved in Indian motifs depicting Hindu's "holy trinity", Shiva, Vishnu, and Bhrama, among other intricately detailed stories and scenes. This wing, our guide explained, represented the Hindu story of the creation of the universe, one of the world's oldest recorded stories.

the central alter with Buddhist relics

While not strictly a "wat" (temple), the Sanctuary of Truth does have a central alter containing Buddhist relics believed to be bone fragments from Prince Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha) himself. There are no monks, and everyone must pay admission to enter. There's a reastaurant, a cultural show, and elephant rides along the beach, so it's still pretty touristy. Nevertheless, it's a spiritual place, and there were many Thai Buddhists inside praying.

looking over the sea

We moved on to the next (Chinese) wing. "Now I will tell you the truth again". Our guide discussed the Confucian worldview and pointed out carvings of the Phoenix and Dragon (representing the Emperor and Empress of ancient China), and the eight Immortals of Taoism. I've always been interested in Chinese art and culture, and I thought that this wing was the most elegant and beautiful of the four.

The third wing was carved in a traditional Thai style showing images from the life of Buddha, and the fourth was decorated in Cambodian style, similar to the stonework at Angkor Wat and other temples from the Hindu Khmer empire. The exterior of the Khmer wing is still under construction.

The last spot you visit before leaving the Sanctuary is a small "chapel" off the main building. This was a special addition built to honor the important roles of parents, specifically the parents of Mr. Lek.

As we finished the tour, the evening Thai cultural show was beginning. Even though I've lived in Thailand for over a year now, I still haven't done many tourist things, and I really enjoyed getting to watch the show. Some guys did a sword fighting demonstration, and there was a performance of traditional Thai dancing. The finale was a really famous dance involving these long bamboo poles that first the men, then the women had to dance through. It's dangerous, and the dancers have to be really quick to prevent catching their ankles between the poles. It takes a lot of talent, and looks very impressive too.

Thai cultural show

I wish we could have stayed a few hours more to watch the sunset over the Sanctuary (it faced west over the sea), but we had to get back to Bangkok. We left Pattaya around 5:00 via bus to Bangkok's Mo Chit Terminal. I've probably said this so many times over the past year, but I've found that for me it's important to get out of Bangkok at least once a month. When I'm feeling tired and run down, even a long day-trip out of the city makes me feel better.

looking back over the Gulf of Thailand

Adventure at Buddha Mountain

There are no taxis in Pattaya. Well, there are, but they are Bangkok cabs. Mostly they've come from BKK Airport and are cruising around town until they pick up enough baht or a passenger to take back to Bangkok. Outside of Bangkok it's impossible to get a cab to use the meter. In Pattaya, your only other option is the "baht bus", a songtaew. These require bartering, and won't always take you where you want to go, especially if your destination is a ways out of town. Since there were six of us at Wat Phra Yai, I figured that our best bet was to hire out a large taxi van to take us around. I spoke with the driver, and she agreed to drive us around for the day for B700. That was fine. Split six ways it's not too bad, and my next two destinations were outside of Pattaya in opposite directions. Our first stop was Khao Chi Chan, also known as "Buddha Mountain", about twenty minutes south of Pattaya City.

Known by some as the "Laser Buddha", the 130 meter tall Buddha at Khao Chi Chan was carved by a laser into the rock of a sheer mountain in 1996 to celebrate HM King Bhumibohl's 60th birthday. Outlined in gold, it is the world's largest 2D Buddha image (ie not a statue). Again, we were the only foreigners there. The pictures really can't begin to do justice to this amazing place. A person wouldn't even be as tall as one of the golden letters engraved underneath the Buddha.

It's kind of sad how nobody knows about all of the awesome things around Pattaya. There are many people who visit Bangkok and rarely leave Khao San Road (the backpacker's street). Likewise, there are those whose only image of Pattaya is Walking Street. These people have led to the city developing a really bad reputation, but it has so much to offer if you know where to look.

A Blessing in Pattaya

I have a new weekend tutoring job this year. It's not a bad deal. I "inherited" the gig from my friend Katie who taught it last year. Every Saturday I meet with P'Ja (with whose family I went to Kanchanaburi) and tutor four students. It's not hard work, the pay is good, and I get to hang out with P'Ja. The downside is that I can't travel on the weekends since the job is on Saturday afternoons. My new goal for the year is to try to do something fun and interesting every Sunday.

This weekend the new teachers went to Pattaya to visit Ko Larn. I helped explain to them what to do and gave them instructions on Friday afternoon as I sent them on their way to Victory Monument to catch a minibus. I didn't feel too bad, because I've been there before, but I still wanted to escape BKK for a while. I decided that I could take the bus down to meet them on Sunday to see some interesting sights.

early morning at Pattaya Beach

I left Bangkok on the 6:30 bus. I told them that I would meet them at Wat Phra Yai at 9:00, and I'm proud to say that I timed everything perfectly. After a taxi, a bus, and two songtao rides, I was at the temple. I looked at my watch- 9:00 exactly.

Big Buddha

I had to wait a few minutes for my friends to arrive, but I looked around the temple for a while as I waited. Wat Phra Yai is a surprising find in Pattaya. In fact, in a city like that it's hard to imagine that there's any religion at all. And yet Pattaya, like all of Thailand, is full of surprises. Known locally as "Big Buddha" or "Buddha Hill", the wat is the site of Chonbui Province's largest Buddha statue. Although it's certainly not the most impressive Buddha I've ever seen, the temple still was an interesting find. It sits atop a hill just past the bars and clubs of the sleazy farang Walking Street (past a sign reading "good guys go to heaven, bad guys go to Pattaya"), deserted that early in the morning. As my songtao driver took me up the hill, we passed a guy who looked like he was struggling to do some chin-ups on a railing. "Farang mao maak", the driver laughed and pointed... "very drunk foreigner." Some people go to Pattaya just to party, and that's an entirely depressing thought.

my Monday Buddha

My friends arrived soon. I was glad to hear that they had had a blast relaxing on Ko Larn. Originally they had planned to go home Sunday morning, but when I decided to come down they wanted to stay too. Pattaya is actually full of some really amazing sites that nobody knows about. We went to three different places that day, and were the only foreigners there. Farangs only want to go to Pattaya for the beach and the booze, but the city has so much more to offer. I spent the week researching to make sure that we would have a good time.

balancing coins at the lucky footprint of the Buddha

Two of my friends bought little cages of four birds each to release from the top of the hill. It's a Thai Buddhist tradition of making merit. Although I don't really agree with caging the birds to begin with, at least those eight birds got their freedom.

Big Buddha up close

Although it was overcast, it never rained on us. From the top of the hill we could see a great view of the coast as Buddha looked serenely back over the city.

The wat itself was fairly tiny. I took off my shoes and stepped inside, because I've always been fascinated with the intricate details on the inside of Thai temples.

inside the wat

One of my new Prathyom coworkers, Dean, decided that he wanted to take a photo with the monk. He's a naturally outgoing person, and we tried to convince him that it probably wasn't appropriate. Nevertheless, he stepped inside, and through a translator (ie the guy working at the temple shop) he asked the monk for a picture. Luckily he didn't mind (even though we interrupted him trying to watch the World Cup on his phone), and even offered to give us a blessing. I'm not Buddhist, but I won't say no to a blessing. Besides, Pattaya could use all the religion it can get. Several of us decided to accept his offer.

Receiving a blessing

The monk tied a little white string around my right wrist while he chanted some sort of prayer (the girls got theirs on their left wrist). Next he took a bundle of sticks sitting in a little bowl of holy water and began sprinkling me with it before beginning to tap me on the head with the sticks, still chanting. After a few seconds, he tapped me once more, quite a bit harder on the head and said "good luck to you". I'm still wearing my string bracelet.

The temple was a nice find. It's not the prettiest temple I've seen, nor the most important. It was a convenient meeting place and an interesting site, and that's all I had intended it to be. I never expected to receive a blessing from a friendly monk. Even in the middle of loud, drunken, (altogether too Russian), party-central Pattaya City, there can be found quiet places of worship. I think that's a really good thing. It's proof that religion can be found anywhere... even in Pattaya.

a view of Pattaya from the top of Buddha Hill