Trip to Erawan Museum and the Ancient City

An 8 o’clock start from Foodland saw 7 PILC members leave for the museum.  Our driver knew exactly where to go, something that doesn’t always happen.  Our first sighting of the Chang Erawan, a giant three-headed elephant, is astounding.  At about 42 meters in height (the elephant stands 29 meters on a plinth) it is a very striking view as you drive on one of the elevated roads around Bangkok.  Standing underneath is just as awe inspiring.

First stop is the plinth inside which is the museum.  Outside is a short climb up to the elephant itself.  The decoration and art forms, the use of pottery, broken or whole, could only happen here in Thailand.  An elevator takes you to the first floor where, if you get down on your hands and knees, you can peer out over Bangkok through a window in the belly of the elephant, then up stairs to the stars.  You really need to see this for yourselves, trying to describe it in a few short words, cannot do it justice.

Next stop was the Ancient City.  We had lunch in the floating market, followed by two hours on a tram which saw us travelling through the Ancient City with many stops to view the attractions, but it’s not a city, it’s a country: Thailand.  The whole layout is in the shape of Thailand, and all the buildings are in the correct part of ‘Thailand’.  The Preah Vihear has been built on a mountain just as it is on the borders with Cambodia.  Some of the buildings are recreated here, some have been removed from the real site.  If you take a bicycle you can ride around the whole of Thailand.  Or you can hire a golf cart and take yourselves to see the sights, or like us, go on the tram.

It was a very enjoyable day out, one that I will repeat:  I want to see the things I missed the first time.

Celia Picken