January 6, 2010 – Day 377 – Bangkok, Thailand

With Latham’s approaching flight this evening, we decided to save some of Bangkok’s best of last. Today we went to the Grand Palace. When they named it, they really were not kidding!

Golden statue

It was incredible. Amazing murals on the walls depicting religious art tied between Hindu and Buddhist themes, sweeping traditional Thai architecture, and beautiful shimmering tiles on the walls and roofs.

Wall Mural

The grand palace

Golden religious images, bumbling tourists, armed guards in spiffy starched uniforms, and immaculate landscaping also appeared in the huge royal complex. Though the King no longer lives here, none of the splendor has escaped the Palace grounds. It was quite a sight!

Wat in the Palace

Palace guard

We bid farewell to Latham and off he went into the night. On the way back, Saben was attacked and bitten by a bastard street dog and 2 of its equally wild eyed compadres. Great. Now he’s got rabies. Guess we’ll be off to the clinic tomorrow for some rabies shots…

A parting shot