5-22-10 Chicken and pork kebabs on a motor food stand
Friends:
On our fourth day in Pattaya, we decided to tour the city. First, we toured on foot for a while. Unfortunately, we were unable to locate Harry Potter…
5-22-10 I guess Harry will take you around town on his broom... Does J.K. Rowling know about his sideline?
Then I hired a cab to take us around the city. That was when the real tour began. Our first stop was The Sanctuary of Truth, a palace carved entirely out of wood.
5-22-10 The incredible Sanctuary of Truth, a palace carved entirely of wood
First, a horse and carriage came to pick us up to take us to the place where we had to climb down a huge flight of stairs to get to the Sanctuary area.
5-22-10 The horse and carriage that took us to The Sanctuary of Truth
Construction on the Sanctuary of Truth began in 1981 and is still 20 years from completion!
5-22-10 Katrin, Nicole & Dianne pose in front of the Sanctuary of Truth, Pattaya, Thailand
Prior to trekking down to the Sanctuary, we had to take this photo op. It was too fun to resist!
5-22-10 Katrin, Nicole & Dianne being silly in Thai caricature cut-outs
Before we entered the structure, we were treated to a sword-fighting demonstration. I felt very powerful holding those swords! LOL
5-22-10 Yes, I was involved in a sword fight (and won...)
Master wood sculptors from Thailand, Burma, and Laos painstakingly hand-carve every piece of the structure.
5-22-10 Wood sculptors hard at work carving more of the palace
The result is a breathtaking structure that moved me to tears.
5-22-10 The entrance to the Sanctuary of Truth, Pattaya, Thailand
The Sanctuary depicts deities of different religions all representing various cultures’ search of the truth.
5-22-10 Mermaids, elephants, and deities adorn the structure inside and out
Though the place is not a temple, it certainly has an air of holiness about it. For me, it was like seeing The Sisteen Chapel for the first time. It demonstrates man’s ability to rise above himself to create something extraordinary, something heavenly. I feel privileged to have seen this incredible structure in person!
5-22-10 Just WOW!
As Nicole was ascending the stairs leaving the area of the Sanctuary of Truth, I caught this cool picture…
5-22-10 Nicole is intwined in the lovely landscape
Our next stop was the Pattaya City overlook. Our cab driver, Mr. Suwan, suggested it. It it like the massive Hollywood sign in California.
5-22-10 Our cab driver took us up to the Pattaya City sign overlook
The sign has an observation “deck” that overlooks the beautiful, panoramic scene of Pattaya City’s bay.
5-22-10 My big head in front of the view of Pattaya Bay, Thailand
Next, we headed to Buddha Hill, where a colossal statue of Buddha sits. It was dusk so my pictures weren’t all that great… Still it was beautiful to behold!
5-22-10 The Golden Buddha on Buddha Hill, Pattaya, Thailand
When you enter a Buddhist temple or any sacred area, you must remove your shoes. All of the sacred areas we toured were outdoors. Look at my feet! My feet have never been dirtier!! LOL It took me twenty minutes of hard scrubbing to get the bottom of my feet pink again!
5-22-10 My feet have never been so dirty... You have to remove your shoes to visit any of the sacred Buddha altars.
Finally, we went back to the hotel. It was Saturday night and the curfew had been lifted. We wanted to see the nightlife in Pattaya so we headed to Walking Street, a street of music-pumping, light-pulsing clubs. After a couple of hours, we were exhausted so we decided to head back. We ended up walking over 2 miles along the beach back to our hotel!
5-22-10 Ready for a night on the town!
It was a good full day in Pattaya. Nicole, Katrin and I had a great time!
Until next time…
Warmly, Dianne