Mother Daughter Adventure Chronicles VII- the Final Chapter- Bangkok or Bust! II

Jim Thompson Museum

The next day we visited the Jim Thompson house and museum. This was a very impressive excursion. Jim Thompson left quite a legacy and mystery in Thailand. From reviving the dying Thai silk industry to then disappearing in Malaysia 22 years later, he earned quite a reputation. Check out the Jim Thompson house and museum website for more information about his life and times in Thailand.

http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com/

The only way to see the house is to join a tour.  The tour costs 200 baht per person (about 6 USD) and it definitely worth it.  The guides are friendly and well versed in the history of the house and Jim Thompson's life and work. 

Koi fish pond

Strolling through the beautiful garden

Block print used for silk printing- I think this one was just a design- the actual piece was not used for printing.

Jim Thompson had an eye for Thai artifacts and history.  I don't know where this piece came from, but it is placed beautifully among some plants underneath the main dwelling near an entrance to the house.

The Jim Thompson House and museum has a great collection of artwork from various locations in Thailand and periods of Thai history.  This woodcarving is not unlike many Thai carvings.  The wood used is usually mango or teak which are generally softer and take to woodcarving tools more readily.  Thai woodcraft is a beautiful art form, and you will see simple designs of flowers adorning the roofs of houses, or more elaborate free standing pieces such as this one all over Thailand.





There are a few different styles of traditional Thai style houses in Thailand, and Jim Thomspon wanted them all represented on his property. Here's an entrance to the main house where he lived. Other houses are used as galleries now, or things such as the gift shop.

After we explored the mysteries of Jim Thompson, his beautiful collections of artwork and silk creations, we headed to Wat Pho, home of the Reclining Buddha. We took the BTS and then a river taxi to get there.  I love the river taxi- only 14 baht (less than 50 cents) to get up and down the mighty Chao Praya River and you get a nice breeze and view during the trip. 

This temple holds a special place in my heart as it was one of the first temples I went to in Thailand. I went there with Petey before he left Thailand so it was special for me for that reason as well. A few hours after we visited that temple he flew home.

The Reclining Buddha is pretty marvelous, as well as the paintings inside the temple. The Buddha here is in every sense of the words- larger than life. I wonder why the architects of this temple decided to house the Buddha as if he's in a cell, but I guess that adds to the grandeur. The Buddha fills almost the entire space.

Buddha's feet

 You enter the temple near Buddhas head, resting on his hand right hand (he reclines on the right side at Wat Pho) in the position of entering Nirvana. You walk towards Buddha's feet which are really beautiful. His feet are adorned with mandalas of in-laid mother of pearl.

Walking around the Buddha you see his back and a long row of offering bowls. You can purchase a small bowl of 25 satang pieces (less than a cent US) to deposit in each bowl for good luck. I'll never forget the sound of the small coins tinkling into the bowls. As the ringing echos around the temple you let your bad luck float away and welcome the good luck.