temples | Lenn of Spades ♠

We only had three days to spend in Bangkok after our Phuket trip, so we planned the itinerary carefully. On the day of our flight back to BKK from Phuket, our flight was delayed for an hour because of the weather in Bangkok. So we arrived at the airport at around lunch time. By then, we were famished. We had to eat at the airport because it’s still a 30-minute train ride from there to Phaya Thai and 15-minute drive from Phaya Thai to our hotel which was located in Chinatown.

Our hotel was lovely and since it’s located in the heart of the town—just across BTS (Bangkok Transit System)—it was very Chinese-themed. The hallways and the rooms were spacious and clean. I enjoyed making visits at their deck near the swimming pool because it was overlooking the town and of course, we just had to take photos!

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Wat Pho (The Temple of the Reclining Buddha), Bangkok, Thailand, 2023

Buddhism originated in South Asia roughly 2,500 years ago and is believed to be one of the world’s largest religions; over the next Millenia, Buddhism has spread across the world. Buddhists believe that life is a cycle of suffering and that by doing meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and having good behavior, they can escape this cycle of suffering and achieve what they call nirvana.

There are three major branches of Buddhism: Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana — Theravada being the most common in Thailand. Theravada Buddhism emphasizes a monastic lifestyle and meditation as their way to enlightenment.