Here we are, White Temple day. I am so excited and when you see the photos you'll know why. The most interesting and spectacular looking temple I have seen. So I am up early and we get some breakfast before deciding the plan. We could just get the public bus, which would be cheap but might take a while. I ask at reception about anything else that might be worth seeing while I'm here. The woman suggests the Black House, not knowing much about it I look online and it looks interesting enough so why not. She suggests that we could a songthaew for the day that could take us to the sights and then wait for us as long as we wanted before returning us to the hotel. It's more expensive, but a lot more convenient so we go for that.
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The songthaew is here in about 5mins and we're off. It takes about 15mins before we arrive at the temple. Bit of background: The White Temple or Wat Rong Kung is a unique modern temple designed and built by artist Chaloemchai Khositphipha and was started in 1998. It is decorated with silver pieces of mirror and it completely white as the artist believed gold to be a material of lust and desire. It is estimated to take many more decades to complete and there is still construction underway. As we get out of the songthraew I can see the sparkling temple across a small lake. It is right on the roadside, looks just as good as I hoped. We head in, admission is free. I've decided I'm going to two trips, one with each of my lenses as I want to capture everything. Ha. Bo is fine with this. As we approach the temple you cross over a small bridge, underneath you have hands and faces reaching up, symbolising a pit of hell. After this you are on you the main bridge, with two glistening figures either side and glitz and glam as you cross. There is a man with a loud speaker, barking at people to keep moving. After the bridge you can enter in to the main temple, no photos unfortunately. Inside the artwork has been completed by tattoo artists, and it is exquisite. The classic Buddha images atop more modern day images. There are monsters extending from the Buddha with tentacles and mouths agape. There are then images of everything, from batman to mobile phones. There is a large depiction a devil type creature with images of Bush and Bin Laden in the eyes. As a piece of art it is mesmerising. These images cover the whole wall as you walk in. In front there is a traditional statue of Buddha and one of the life like monks. People falling to their knees to pray. The sides of the walls are not finished yet, but I can make out some of the early sketching. I was easily inside for half and hour, the wall has so much to offer, the burning twin towers, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Elvis, cartoon characters, Jack Sparrow ..... Too many to name, so interesting to find this in a temple. I love it. We exit the same way we came in and walk round the outside of the main room before exiting off to the left and away from the main temple. The are is surrounded with more statues and phallic structures, and is all contrasted against with the lush green garden in the foreground and the piercing blue sky back drop. As I walk away, every step, I am getting a reflection from the sun of a piece of mirror, beautiful. Again you can see the starting of more building that will be added to the complex in the future. We walk on and past a covered well, where people were throwing money and then trees made up of people hanging charms, with wishes on them. All silver and metallic and in keeping with the theme of the temple. Back for the second round. Some more snaps. Then a coffee before back on the songthraew and on to the black house.
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This is a village of houses exhibiting the works of another artist. Again there is no information and I thought that it was a village where people had lived, to start with. It was only after wandering round for a while that it became clear that it was something else. Very interesting place, with themes inspired by bones, animals and just being a bit crazy. I check my watch and it is time we were heading back, to give us time to eat before getting on the bus to Bangkok.
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We get back and get checked out, shovel something in my mouth and then head out to get a taxi to the station. It's not long before we have one, a little expensive but we don't have the luxury of time. We get to the station 20mins before the bus leaves and so I get out the tickets, it is then that I have an overwhelming sick feeling come over me. I look at the ticket, for the first time, it reads 5.30 departure. We are here for the 6.40 bus that I had asked for. I go to the desk to explain the situation and try to get an exchange. That was futile. I am filled with rage! I think back to yesterday and all the commotion, I hadn't checked the ticket. Why? Why did the woman book me the wrong time? I want to go back and rip her head off. We try to get a bus later that night, but everything is full. We book another ticket for tomorrow morning and go back to the hotel to stay another night. I am not pleased. Money down the drain and time wasted. What a joke! First time this has happened to me, I'm normally meticulous with the checking of the details, however clearly not yesterday. We get checked back in and head out for the Saturday market. It's your standard market affair but there is also some live music and a square where people are all dancing away. A great atmosphere. We get some food and I grab a beer as we watch the festivities. We head back relatively early as our bus is at 8.30 tomorrow.