DAY 10 - SANCTUARY OF TRUTH

Danny is actually much happier than he looks :)

Arranged with Chai (driver that Abe hooked us up with) to take us out to the Sanctuary of Truth, just north of Pattaya, built on the shore of Rachvate Cape, Naklua, Pattaya.

The Khmer styled wing

The Sanctuary of Truth is a remarkable creation.  It was started by an eccentric Thai billionaire named Lek Viriyaphant more than 30 years ago and is now being completed by his son and is expected to taker another 5 to 20 years to complete (depending on who you ask).

It is built entirely of teakwood and is designed to “showcase Thai culture and ingenuity”. The building is a work-in-progress; the founder’s intention is that visitors should be able to appreciate the amount and kind of work that goes into a creation of this magnitude. 

From walking around the outside, it seemed as if one entire wing of the building has just been erected fairly recently; artisans are still busy with the interior and exterior carvings in this area.  The carvings are fabulous, as is the architecture and design of the sanctuary. Almost every square inch inside is covered in carved images of gods and goddesses, as well as effigies of the planets, floral motifs, and so on.

The religious imagery draws from and illustrates the four major influences on Thai culture – Buddhist, Chinese, Khmer, and Hindu.  There are 4 wings reflecting each of the styles.

When we were done, Linda & I had a foot massage.
Only problem was then I wanted a back massage too lol !!

After all that walking, in the heat,
only one way out:  Up