Well, I guess we wouldn't let them get away with wearing thongs in an RSL.

I told Adrian this morning that we would need to cover elbows and knees to be able to visit Wat
Phra Kaew. A cold-weather person, he looked alarmed for a second before coming to terms with it.

"Well, I guess we wouldn't let them get away with wearing thongs in an RSL."

Heading out at the starlingly early 9am (holiday time slipped in without me even noticing), the Temple of the Emerald Buddha was designed to be an appetiser. I didn't expect to understand my temple-taster. I expected glittering spires, quiet prayer and hoards of tourist. I didn't expect the amazing gilded painting spanning 1900 metres around the temple grounds, confusing me with hundreds of stories, depicted on the walls. Well, the paintings themselves didn't so much startle me, but the sheer volume of religious history that I don't know? That was a bit of a surprise.

Temples remain a mystery to me. You can wander, point, click your camera, dress respectfully and be quiet in the right places, but still have absolutely no fucking clue what it's all about. The curse of the atheist, I suppose. It might very well be worth springing for that english-speaking guide...