The first of my major tourist excursions was to Wat Pho, the site of the reclining Buddha in Bangkok. The excursion was interesting in part because I did it all myself, but more as I did it with a backpackers point of view rather than that of an organised trip. This meant using local transport, and local facilities for the excursion. So leaving my hostel, I walked to the nearest sky train station, about 10 minutes away. Then a ticket for the Central Pier stop, cost 40 baht (about 80 pence). A 35 minute journey on an air conditioned fast train, changing once at the central station, which is where the various arms of the sky train meet, and onto my destination. A short walk to the pier, and catching a water express at a cost of 30 Baht. Then a thoroughly enjoyable river trip lasting about three quarters of an hour.
I got off at the stop for Wat Pho, crossed the road, and entered the temple complex (an area as far as I could tell of similar dimensions to the Tower of London).
The Wat itself is a riot of buildings, decoration, the Thai equivalent of stupas (can't remember the proper name), temples, halls, schools, and a visitor throughput about equivalent to that of Westminster Abbey. The nice thing though, was that probably a majority of the visitors start their experience there by offering a sacrifice at a small shrine area just by the entrance, which although small, caters for all those who wish to use it without its users or the plain tourists getting in each others way.
The Wat itself is a riot of buildings, decoration, the Thai equivalent of stupas (can't remember the proper name), temples, halls, schools, and a visitor throughput about equivalent to that of Westminster Abbey. The nice thing though, was that probably a majority of the visitors start their experience there by offering a sacrifice at a small shrine area just by the entrance, which although small, caters for all those who wish to use it without its users or the plain tourists getting in each others way.