Despite the antique nature of the sleeping carriage Nina and I got a good nights sleep. By about 7:30 activity in the carriage picked up with passengers going through their morning rituals and merchants walking through selling various foods (almost non of which I could recognize) and drinks. About 1 hour before the schedued arrival in Bangkok the cabin staff started the process of returning the carriage to its day-time seated configuration which in addition required the rolling up and collection of all the bedding. Quite a process to witness.

The trip from the outskirts of Bangkok to the central station gave us a good view of the gulf in living conditions between the poorer and wealthier members of the community as well as a glimpse of the scale of this enormous city. The new central railway station was astounding in size a multi-level concrete construction with floors that seem to disappear to the horizon.

We met our local guide as expeced and into a bus for the start of the days sightseeing. After a lengthy drive and a close look at the infamous Bangkok traffic we started our tour of Wat Pho which is famous as the originator and teacher of traditional Thai massage. With many spectacular stuppas, and ornately decorated buildings this place is certainly a testament to the power of religion. We also walked through the hall of the Sleeping Budda. Impressive in size but impossibe to photograph.

Next on the list was Wat Arun famous for its central prang (or stuppa like structure) topped with a seven prong trident.

Our local guide was clearly trying to kill time, presumably because the hotel was not ready and neither was the bus allocated to take us to the hotel. In order to do this he organized a place that served a nice lunch, then a complimentary Thai massage for each of us, and finally on the end-of-day walk to the bus he bought us all icecreams.