Thursday, September 28, 2006

so wat po or water in the face

okay so as not to pass out here i am writing another blog. i skipped my afternoon beer and had some ice cream instead, cold and sweet, but a little too sweet.

so after i left you i headed out for wat po, wat po houses one of the largest sleeping buddhas in the world. wow. i mean WOW! it has to be one of the most amazing things ever. i am probably the size of one of his fingers. he looks so lovely too. i hate the fact that christ was strung up and tortured then he ascended into heaven. buddha, yeah he was happy and just feel asleep. i've seen so many different buddhas the past few days and some of them are so handsome, their faces so sweet and loving, eyes half slitted, i think i have eyes like a buddha. people always thought i was stoned, but i was really in a state of nirvana! ha!

so i ended up taking a motorcycle taxi to wat po, something i didn't entend on doing, especially because my hair wouldn't fit under a helmet. so there i am sitting on a bike, no helmet behind a thai man that is roughly my size. now traffic here isn't as bad as say nepal, but it's still pretty fucking crazy.
yeah so i'm trying to be cool and not clutch at the poor man for my dear life, i use one hand to hold him and one on the seat behind me, finally i'm brave enough for both hands behind me, but clamp my thighs as tight as they can get. i just remeber him swearving into oncoming traffic to get around a traffic jam and knowing this could be my last breath. oh yeah it was a thrill ride. so he got me there safe and sound, that's that.

i went in and had my religious experience and then of course someone starts talking to me, and damn you mom and dad for raising me to be polite, because i have to talk back. so he wants to lead me of somewhere and show me something, so i go. duh. so he takes me to this house on the grounds where a monk is living, the guy invites me in and ties a holy charm around my wrist, he says a prayer as he does it and has me kneel and then starts shaking this branch like stick full of water at me. it of course hits me straight on in the face, and my poor holga is in my lap, so i lean forward to protect it, and get more water. he then wants to sell me grossly priced amulets and asks a donation for his blessing.

that's one thing i will never get over, be it eastern or western, religious people that are in it for something other than fulfilment. i mean i've seen it before in my travels where babas come up and bless you and then want money, and it happened again today, but i mean come on, blessings should be free. it just urks me when people use spirituality for material gain.

okay give me a minute to get off my high horse. much better. so i don't know bangkok that well, but i can already tell it's missing a good park. what i wouldn't give to stretch out on the grass about now. so much hustle and bustle and no beautiful down time, but soon. yes very soon.

1 comment:

Rebecca Fountain said...

Who in religion doesn't focus on monetary gain? I would like to meet the guy...

So i understand the motorbike taxi- but will you be riding an elephant too?