Snakes and Temples

Today we started with a briefing on how to survive in Bangkok, then on to the Thai Red Cross Snake Farm in the morning, then to the Grand Palace and Was Po.  We finished the day around 4:00.  I was surprised that nobody was very hard hit with jet lag yet.  The key word is YET.

We're in the hotel lobby getting some words of advice on safety from Ajarn Bob about cars going the wrong way, missing slabs of concrete in the sidewalk, power lines dangling below your chin, etc.

We take the skytrain throughout Bangkok as a very quick and effective means of transportation.  The system is 21 years old and it looks like new.

Inside the skytrain, here are Grace, Julia, Liz, and Claire (Ajarn Wayne is behind holding the hand rail).

Charlie and Alexis in the foreground.

We arrived at the snake farm in plenty of time before the show, so we had some time to browse around at the exhibits.

They saw something moving but weren't sure what it was (or how close they should get to it).

When the show began, one of the snake handlers brought a 12 ft long king cobra out and released it in front of the crowd, which is in the bleachers on the extreme right.

It was easy for the handler to agitate the snake and get it to present with it's characteristic upright strike pose.

After the king cobra, they brought out a pair of Siamese cobras, one of the most common snakes in Thailand.  Although only around 4 feet long, these snakes repeatedly struck at the wiley snake handler who deftly moved his boot out of the way as the snakes lunged at him.

We're trying to figure out how this guy managed to live as long as he has.

This doesn't seem like a good idea.

Here is a mangrove snake, which is only mildly venomous.

Here is a banded krait, one of the most deadly snakes in the world.  Fortunately, this group of snakes is very docile.

Our students mostly sat in the front row for the show.  I tried to get photos of them cringing and wincing, but I wasn't quick enough. Ally, Cam, Alexis, Sabrina, an Maddie (L-R).

Liz, Kelsey, and Dani are thrilled to be holding an albino Burmese python.

Claire.

Alexis.

Ally.

Cam.

Charlie and Shanon.  The only way Shanon would hold a snake is if someone assisted as her therapy student.

Hannah.

Hanna, Grace, and Elena.

Maddie.

Sabrina.

The snake started getting a little frisky with Julia.

On to the Grand Palace in the afternoon.

This place is the crown jewel of Thai tourism.  There are so many things to see and photograph in the Grand Palace.  But it was sooo crowded and hot this afternoon, that we all were eager to see it and get out as quickly as possible.

various scenes in the Grand Palace.

The obligatory posing with the demons.

After coming out of the hall with the emerald Buddha (where photography is not allowed), a basin with Buddhist holy was available so you could bless yourself by dabbing a lotus flower bulb in the water and then tapping yourself on the head with it.  Here are Sabrina and Maddie blessing themselves, while Julia watches.

Then around the block we visited Wat Po, the temple with the 150 ft long reclining Buddha image.  Elena, Sabrina, and Maddie in this picture.

Hanna, Dani, and Elena taking a selfie. 

Here are Sabrina and  Dani putting 1/4 baht coins in the 108 bronze bowls, each of which represents one of the auspicious characters of the Buddha.  It is believed to bring good luck by doing this.