Bangkok - Praying

No Excuses
Whereas in the States you can say you missed the bus to church or that your car broke down on the way, in Bangkok you'd need to find a different excuse. See, there are small temples everywhere. I saw dozens and dozens of them, I think there's one in every parking lot. This was the one in the hawker center near my hotel where I said a few words of thanks to Buddha for the small fruit waffle thingie I got there. It was delicious!

Here's another small one close to a skytrain stop. My girlfriend is a lapsed Buddhist but from what little info she's given me you light some incense, offer garlands of jasmine and then pray for anything you want. "Anything??" I asked. I considered praying for a 45-inch vertical leap and a 300-yard drive but then upon reflection I figured I should pray to be less shallow.

We took the sky train to see the famous four-faced buddha. As advertised, he does have four faces and can probably see all. He was much larger and more elaborate - but more confusing too. In fact, this is not a four-faced Buddha, but a four-faced Lord Brahma, who is a celestial being but not Buddha himself. Apparently, when Indian Buddhism came to Thailand so did a lot of Hindu culture and beliefs.

Many believe that prayers come true here more often if you pray on Thursday. The catch? If your prayers come true you have to keep coming back to give thanks. So, if you're visiting from faraway lands, it's probably a good idea to pray for really big things.

It was crowded with the devout. Many bought candles to light and place at the foot of the statue.

The juxtaposition of this ornate temple amongst modern skyscrapers and malls was strange to my eye.