Buddha Pest

I knew it was tell-tale when I entered the National Museum art galleries and all I saw was Buddha. True, Thailand does have an extensive tradition of art and the artifacts to prove it; but equally extensive is its display and revering of Buddha over every inch of the city!

In the United States, people take cautious measures toward tolerance of all religions and not "flaunting" one religion over another. In Bangkok, it's no holds barred. Buddha is about as omnipresent as the heat and humidity. The smell of incense fills
the streets; Buddhas of every shape and size are sold street-side; alters are set up outside of buildings and homes; and you cannot walk more than a couple blocks without seeing a Wat.

The Wats themselves do not blend seamlessly into the local architecture as churches and mosques do back home. Nope, their vibrant colors, ostentatious architecture, and gold-trimmed roofs make Wats a conspicuous ever-presence on the Bangkok skyline. And if the sheer number of Wats don't hint at Bangkok's Buddhist majority (95% of the population practices Buddhism), just enter Wat Pho and it will become clear how reverently he is regarded. Idolically reclined within its overwhelmed walls lies a 46-meter long gold-plated Buddha.

But despite the innumerable Buddhas present in every corner of Bangkok, I was still able to find 1 (yes, I only saw 1) familiar face.