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The Grand Palace
Many travelers wander to find something: themselves, inner peace, good discounts on overseas-manufactured products, etc. In 2019 we took a trip to Thailand for exactly those reasons, plus relaxation. We had relocated from the US to China the year prior and the stress of adjusting to a new culture had taken a little toll. What’s the best way to alleviate culture shock? Immersion in yet another new culture!
We flew into bustling yet beautiful Bangkok and made sure we crossed a big spiritual item off our collective bucket list: The Grand Palace. We had done a little research on Thai temples and knew we couldn’t wear our usual trekking clothes – tank tops and shorts – but an essential new part of our wardrobe was cheap and easily accessible. Yes, we would need to wear T-shirts or something to cover our shoulders if we wanted to wander around The Grand Palace, but a convenient AND functional souvenir we must have can be bought right across the street: elephant pants!
Shop around to your heart’s content… online
Styles and colors were quite limited at the specific store we stopped at, but you can shop around all over Thailand. Our choices included black and white or black and white. If you want the maximum variety of selection, there’s always Amazon! Although we didn’t buy them, we admired these women’s pants and those men’s for their broad range of colors and prints as well as their pockets. Pockets are a useful place for your hands when you’re in a temple and you want to touch the shiny Buddha.
A sidebar about elephant pants: stereotypically they’re synonymous with lost souls on journeys of spiritual awakening. You will see many tourists in Thailand wearing them, either out of necessity or comfort. (The takeaway, however, is they’re thin and if you HAVE to wear pants in the Thailand heat, elephant pants can’t be beat. Something else that’s invaluable in the heat is a quality water bottle. Our Simple Modern water bottles have kept us hydrated in several countries now. Even if you’re not traveling the world, you can easily get your sips in wherever you are. Buy yours here.)
You might think elephant pants have roots in Thailand but they’re actually historically known as “shalwar,” the Turkish or Persian word for pants. Thanks to Bodega Party Hostel for the quick lesson! We haven’t stayed at a Bodega – yet – but we are repeat customers at ZZZ Hostel and this is why.
All covered up and ready for enlightenment
After redressing ourselves appropriately, we entered The Grand Palace. Our jaws literally dropped for two reasons: 1. EVERYONE decided to visit the palace at the exact same time as us, and 2. The architecture and beauty stunned us. Any website you Google will show you colorful photos with dazzling blue sky setting off the luxurious golden temple spires. The rich red, orange and green hues of the rooftops provide such a contrast to the light blue background. Sadly, our pictures don’t do the buildings any justice but hey, we need to prove we were actually there!
Here’s a peaceful Kinnari – mythical creatures who are part female, part bird and part horse – who are musicians fabled to watch over humans in times of trouble or danger. She had today off because we had a pretty chill time.
We walked past this gentleman guarding one of the buildings. It appears he is proudly holding his staff in the front and he’s not afraid to use it. And what’s that he’s hiding behind his back? I’m not sure but his perfect posture indicates it’s something I’d rather not tangle with. We will behave, sir!
One of the most popular elements of The Grand Palace is the Emerald Buddha. While we don’t have personal pictures of this grand statue, you can see him and read about his seasonal costume changes here.
The combination of church and state
We shuffled around in the Thai heat with our 300,962 closest friends, gaping at the architecture, and continually stunned at how big this holy site is. Considered the most sacred space in the entire country, The Grand Palace was built for a variety of functions: home to the king and his family/harem, headquarters for governmental administrative offices and ceremonial site for royal events and important foreign people. Note that the king has downsized in two key areas: he no longer lives at The Grand Palace, nor does he currently practice polygamy.
Built for both function and beauty, The Grand Palace humbled and impressed us.
