Our morning began with a boatride to the Grand Palace which I can't even begin to explain. It was absolutely stunning.
It was established in 1782 and consists of the royal residence and throne halls as well as the renowned Temple of the Emrlad Buddha which we got to see. It's a solid piece of jade, surrounded by gold and jewels. It was incredible.
The Grand Palace covers an area of 218,000 square meters and is surrounded by four walls that total 1900 meters in length.
After King Rama I ascended to the throne in 1782, the palace was built. Prior to this, the royal and center of administration had been located in Thonburi, on the west side of the Chao Phraya River. For various reasons the new kind determined the old capital unsuitable and decide to establish a new capital on the other side of the river. By his royal command, a new palace was built to serve not only as his residence but also as the site of administrative offices. The royal compound has been known since as the Grand Palace.
After our tour we ate lunch and then visited Wat Arun and Wat Pho, two other temples. Photos will be able to say more than my words on these. They were breathtaking. We gave merit by taking coins and dropping them into dozens of little pots, making wishes in each one. I loved that.
Ghan and Ahn surprised us again at the temple, and we all left to shop at a local mall. The mall was really just a huge room with little cubicles of stores stuffed within. We split up, but te Thais insisted on staying with us for fear we'd be taken advantage of. They're so sweet.
After the indoor mall, we visited the outdoor one. It was pretty awful to be honest. So incredibly overwhelming, I can't believe people shop in there! And the pet trade business in there was heartbreaking.
My group gave up early and enjoyed some iced coffee in the air conditioning.
We ate dinner in the mall and enjoyed some of the best ice cream I've ever had. Being in the sun all day, we were absolutely exhausted. Shopping does that to you, doesn't it?