Wat Arun วัดอรุณฯ, Bangkok

The majestic Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan
I'm not kidding you, that's the actual name of this temple, so to kill less brain cells it's also known as Wat Arun in short.

Built in the 17th century, dedicated to the Hindu God of Aruna, it is the first monument/building that reflects the first light of the morning. Hence the name - Temple of Dawn.


There are so many Yaksa guarding this temple, with them holding all the prangs. The Prangs here are built Khmer style with the main one measuring at the height of 86m / 282 feet.

JS: "Move over Monkey...u r are not a Yaksa but a notti monkey."
-_-"


These precious Yaksas were adorned in beautiful porcelains and colored glass. Though their faces looked scary, they are actually caretakers, guarding whatever secret treasure that's hidden here.


Hello Yaksa....or Raksasa...can u tell me wat u guys are guarding here? I promised I won't tell the rest. Tell me tell me tell mee???

Whatever they are guarding has to be inside the main Prang, standing tall and we had to tilt our neck in pain to have a better look at it. Wow!!!! it's really huge!!!

JS said it's time to climb this temple!!!!
I just noticed he's wearing a shirt that says Tokyo.....when he's in Bangkok...hahaha.

Okie I must say the first tier wasn't that bad, though it's steep it was still climb-able. Huu Haa Hee Haaa up and up and up.

and then the second tier was a killer......
GAH!!!!!
it's like climbing a wall, Each step was high and narrow. I can't even position my one foot onto each step, it has to be put sideways. Seriously it's really like climbing a wall with some steps built onto it.

I couldn't do it, my legs turned jelly for my extreme fear of heights. And like a kid who just dropped his ice cream into the floor, I was so disappointed that I've failed meself.

Oh Lord Wat Arun!!!! what have you done to me??? my hands and legs were shaking, trembling like a cartoon. -_-"


Muahahahahahahahahahahaha u will not conquer our treasure, says Yaksa

I like the intricate porcelain and mosaic works on the surface. There were some beautifully decorated plates out there.


JS then calmed me down at level 1 for just a few nano seconds before he decided he's gonna be a hero and scaled up the steep steps without holding onto anything.

JS: "Look Ma, no hands!!!"
Monkey >.< 

JS had to waved and looked at Monkey then said the top has got the best view in the entire of Old Bangkok. I'm sure it is!!!!

Monkey and her sad face....I wanna climb up too~~~~~


so our dear Hero Stupa climber was bz enjoying the view up there. From here you could see the beautiful Temple of Emerald Buddha and the Grand Palace.

Read bout our visit to Wat Pra Khaew aka the Temple of Emerald Buddha *here*


As both of us were enjoying the view separately, him at the top and me on the 1st tier, more tourists were pouring in from the ferry pier.

these 2 Japanese guys were huffing and puffing their way up...it was so steep it took them quite a while. Once almost at the top, the white shirt guy fell backwards to the horror of his friend *who's at the back of him*. JS's instant reaction was to pull his shirt, and pulled he did.

White shirt Jap Man: "WAAAAAA ARIGATO Gozaimasu...fuuuuuyoohhh kliiii kluuuuu kliiiii kluuuuu."

he sweated a few beads of cold sweat for almost hurting himself and causing a chain-reaction accident all the way down. This is just too farnie not to be shared with my dear readers. We were glad that everyone was OK at the end.

Wow u were a hero!!! u saved many many ppl today!!!
hahahahahaha

the main golden Buddha facing the Chao Praya River
You can try your luck by throwing a coin into the golden bowl held by the Buddha.

Then it's time to say goodbye
and this time we took the 30 cents boat ride back to the other side..
yes me no kidding you....30 cents.


Nope, this wasn't the boat. These are long tail boat, u'll see these cruising around everywhere from the canals to the rivers, emitting such strong diesel smell.



It was a much bigger boat and so goodbye for now Wat Arun. Finally I've climbed it......errr only the first tier...wahahahahaha.

the boat ride was only 5 minutes...just to get across...and we briskly inched our way among the throngs of tourists to more temples around this area.

Earlier that day, when JS drew the blinds...his eyes popped open.

JS: "There's a golf course in the city centre right opposite our hotel!!!!!"
Monkey -_-" Ok bring ur golf bag next time then but this is like a mini 9 hole mickey mouse course.

Men and golf....

Away Notice....

Away for work.....
in the mean time, I will have a short break at this wonderful beautiful place too :)))

This pic was taken last month when Monkey was in Kota Kinabalu for work....and it was a scenic drive to work place with coconut trees swaying to the wind, let the hood of the car down to enjoy the sea breeze...beautiful blue sky, hmmmm wat else??? the problem is, it's soooooo difficult to concentrate on work when my mind was on this!!!! yes THIS!!!!

ARGHHH not to mention yummy seafood. arghhhh.
And so tonite wish me luck for the event, I am gonna break some hearts and pockets too :)))

Sapporo Beer Museum, Sapporo

Sapporo Beer - the oldest beer brand in Japan since 1876

Yea it's a touristy thing that we must do when one is in Sapporo. All travels and trips for Notti Monkey must revolve around FOOD and BEVERAGES. It would be better if the beverages contain alcohol. Hahahahaha. Alcohol makes ppl happy and most of all it kills bacteria. Water carries bacteria so please go ahead and have more alcohol. *hic*

The side facade of Sapporo Beer Museum, the only beer museum in Japan was only recently opened in 1987. Originally this building was constructed in 1890 by foreign architects and engineers as a factory for Sapporo Sugar company until the demand for japanese sugar declined *thanks to cheaper Taiwanese sugar*. In 1903 Sapporo Beer purchased this building as their manufacturing plant. It operated until 1965 before the whole plant was transferred to Eniwa.


Today it is a very important cultural heritage from the Meiji Era and has been selected to receive the status of Hokkaido Heritage. Only certain deserving assets which are meant to be preserved and passed on to the next generation as treasures can receive this status, so it is a very honorable one.

JS said this way to the museum!!!

We were so ambitious and wanted to do the real tourist thingy and thought of catching some loop bus to get here. You see the loop bus is something like a hop on hop off bus that go through the sights and shoppings in the city. But....we ended up hopping into a cab. We failed lar....JS said taxi is much easier...no time wasted...and so much so we are now planning to cycle around in Provence, France next month. I think that would be a failed project too bcoz I have a feeling in the end we gonna hire a chauffer with a limo to go around the villages.

-_-"  right JS?

Poser!!!!

it's just that I have this habit...whenever I see a seat or seats or couch or chairs or benches or stools....basically anything that I can lay my big bums on, that would be it. Even if it means only for a few seconds. Guess I will make a good participant or sample size to test chairs before they go on production. Monkey can give reviews on its ergonomic design, comfort, heights etc

Every history has its beginning of inception, date/year, founder, why, how, where

For Sapporo Beer it's even more important because it also marks the birth of Beer Brewery in Japan. Yeap it's that dramatic!! hahahaha. Started by Mr. Seibei Nakagawa, who studied the art of brewery in Germany from the largest brewery in the world at that time, he came back with vast knowledge and experience. Nakagawa-san also personally oversaw the planning and construction of this brewery. Being a perfectionist and a great master, he also headed the procurement of machineries....selected all the fine ingredients for his beer and finally the packaging, marketing and advertising. Basically from the barleys and hops to the iced cold beer in the bottle. Wow!!!


A walk through their history timeline~~~ but it's all in Japanese.

Do u know that beer is such an old beverage in the world that even the Code of Hammurabi has it??? on regulations and laws about consuming this beverage. If you are in Louvre Museum Paris, you should look for the famous black stone with the Code of Hammurabi. I was surprised that it's so big and tall, about 7.4 feet.


The main ingredients in beer - barley.
Didn't our moms alwiz said drink more barley water...so this is it!!! this has to be it!!!!


sou des neh....this is how Hops looked like. There was even a canister of hops for us to touch and nose. Hops add bitterness to the beer and also act as a natural preservatives.


a photo-op corner...and so we were here on 1st August 2014. That's like more than a month ago. Gosh I am so lagging behind my postings...ok ok note to self.

the huge Wort Kettle made from copper. This is the boiling stage where hops are added. Usually boiled for an hour to release the bitterness from the hops. The longer it's boiled the more bitter it is but then the flavour of the hops is less distinctive so it all depends on style and what the brewery wants to achieve in terms of flavour.

a collection of really old bottles throughout the years from 1878 to 1908

There is a cute miniature animation on the entire process of beer brewery.
First the hops plant and barley, it's all headed like jack and the beanstalk towards the heaven bcoz finest ingredients are the gifts from the higher above to Earth.

Then the barley are roasted, the mashing process to convert starches to sugar. Then hops are added before it's further boiled inside the wort. After all the boiling in numerous stages to remove water through condensation, yeast are also added.

after the boiling and heat work it's now the filtering process and into the cask!!!!

But the happiest part would be consumption of all the hardwork. Look at that that. I wished I could climb the red ladder and dive into all those iced cold beer.

Wooohooo!!! eppy moment for me too. Summer also marks the Beer Festival in Sapporo so we were just in at the right time.

not forgeting the supply chain of delivering the beers worldwide, of coz these days we dun use horses donkeys and sampans....tee hee hee.

the beer bottle caps over the years.

The ad campaigns over the years!!!! wow it's like a walk down memory lanes.

The Communication Corner, usually used by Marketing and PR person

that would be my dream job...to work in the PR department of champagnes house or wineries. To be able to speak breathe and drink something you so passionate about to your privileged visitors, private collectors and international medias. I think the job isn't as easy just taking your guests on private cellar tour and then pop open a bottle at the end of the day isn't it?

Read about her dream job here at KRUG champagne house. This is the kind of job I want now. *Click here to read*

the proud growers of barleys in Japan

Today Sapporo Beers are sold worldwide with a few manufacturing plants. 5 in Japan and 1 in America.

If u are driving and under 20 years old, no beer for you.

JS can't decide which tasting we wanna do....Monkey suggested all top 3 but he was much busier choosing which roasted nuts to go with his beers. -_-"

I think we should start with the black label...no?

Liquid gold.....yumsssss
gosh looking at these pic made me so thirsty.

I wished I could swim in beer!!!!

The huge Star Hall for tasting. By the way the entrance to the museum is FREE. There's  lil museum shop at the corner of this hall and the best purchase would be some Beer Jelly to be brought home as souvenirs.

After quenching our thirst, we went out around the factory museum for a short walk. Nope that ain't our bicycle hahahaha.

The famous tall chimney which u could see from afar.


at the museum's garden there's some barley plants

and hops!!! finally I've seen, touched and smelled hops
:)))))))))

Opposite the museums there's a Sapporo Biergarten to enjoy some fresh draft beer with the famous genghis khan BBQ mutton called jingsukan in japanese.

It was an educational visit for both of us and we look forward for more. To read more about Sapporo Beer, please visit their website here:
http://sapporobeer.com/
Opening hours: 10.30am to 6.30pm
Closed on Mondays