I made it to my first wat (Buddhist temple) and just in time! After about fifteen minutes of picture taking, a serious rainfall started. I was able to run away from the temple while my shoes were still dry. (Shoes must not be worn in buildings with a Buddha) I sought shelter inside the neighboring temple that is under construction.
It's been about thirty minutes with no sign of letting up. There are make-shift apartments in this area - aluminum siding are used for walls. I see about eight units, but there are probably more. There is electricity. In fact, one of the units has the TV blaring some Thai soap opera and a stereo blasting some rock-n-roll at the same time. No one minds my presence here, they just go about their business.
Dogs, chickens and cats roam the area. Unwanted animals get dropped off by people, and the monks take them in as family. The monks will not kill any animals, but sometimes this is an unfortunate thing. Debbie has seen dogs with distemper or other terminal illnesses that just linger around in pain.
The monks are in the temple; the last I saw, they were eating. One of the monks was showing me around the temple, encouraging me to walk around and take photos. He took me underneath the temple that is under construction and showed me the pieces that get put up on the rooftop. They are solid pieces of metal, painted gold and red and are very heavy. He then led me to the prayer room, library, and up to the statue. While I was photographing the Buddha, the monk disappeared. Within moments, it started to rain.
