{"id":4943,"date":"2012-08-06T12:16:59","date_gmt":"2012-08-06T05:16:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/?p=4943"},"modified":"2012-08-10T11:28:13","modified_gmt":"2012-08-10T04:28:13","slug":"elephants-horses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/2012\/08\/06\/elephants-horses\/","title":{"rendered":"Elephants & Horses"},"content":{"rendered":"

All right, wow, what a week it has been!<\/p>\n

[dc]W[\/dc]ednesday last, paid a visit to the Erawan Museum. The place had been on my radar for quite some time. With a description<\/a> like the following, you know<\/em> it\u2019s a-gonna be right up my alley for reals<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\n

The Elephant of the Universe. This three-headed elephant (Airavata) was born of Khun Lek Viriyapant’s ideas and imagination. It was inspired by his wish to preserve his collection of antiques as a contribution to Thai cultural heritage. Many of these were priceless objects of art; they were also held as sacred objects for people of ancient cultures. According to ancient traditions, they were believed to bring blessing and prosperity to the land and its people, and therefore must not be lost to outsiders. It had been Mr. Viriyapant’s concern to find a way that would keep these objects safe and that would also be suitable to their traditional functions. One day he had a visit from a Westerner who, during the course of the conversation, suggested the idea of constructing the most important building in the town in the form of an apple which, according to Western traditions of belief, played a crucial part in the shaping of human destiny. This suggestion was warmly welcomed by Mr. Viriyapant. He nevertheless thought it more appropriate to adhere to Eastern traditions and thus decided on the heavenly elephant Airavata of Hindu mythology. [\u2026]<\/p>\n

Over 10 years of perseverance, common clay and dust were finally formed into the massive 43-metre tall sculpture which today stands on a long stretch of Sukhumvit road. The elephant’s massive body, made of pure bronze, is set on the top of a huge round base painted in pastel pink. Inside the breathtaking museum hall invaluable reminders of Thailand’s ancient heritage are kept, while its captivating interior is lavishly adorned with elegant decorative pieces of contemporary art.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I had lo these many months balked at the (for my budget) exorbitant 300 Baht admission fee; but finally decided that I\u2019d not forgive myself if, never I should return to Bangkok, to have missed out on the Big Elephant for want of a measly sawbuck. And so, after an easy twenty-minute bus ride, there it was.<\/p>\n

\"erawan4\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Uh, okay; that fucker\u2019s pretty big.<\/p>\n

The elephant is still visible, even from the \u201cFree Zone\u201d of the museum\u2019s grounds. But to get up close and personal, gotta pay the fee. Which I done. Before exiting the \u201cFree Zone\u201d, however, had a quick look at the Mission Statement. Kinda grandiose.<\/p>\n

\"erawan1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Of course, the visitor<\/em> needs must accept some responsibilities as well. Love the bit about \u201cKeep the place clean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"erawan3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On the grounds is a display detailing, month-by-month, the festivals celebrated in this particular region of Thailand. Now, how does this<\/em>\u00a0 rate among your all-time fave sentences ever have you read?<\/p>\n

\n

During his time, he was a very famous and compassionate guru whose auspicious Tiger Tooth amulet was very popular and powerful.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"erawan5\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So then this damned elephant\u2026<\/p>\n

\"erawan6\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s big-huge, no doubt. But somehow I couldn\u2019t help feeling that there should be more<\/em> to it that just big-huge. Something mystical (or what). I really couldn’t grok the thing. I done felt somehow, in other words, more than a little disappointed.<\/p>\n

Okay, well, how if I had a go at the museum? It\u2019s in several different parts. An underground level is filled up with Thai ceramical artefacts. No photos allowed, which is a big-huge shame, \u2018cause this stuff was just\u2026so phenomenal. Probably worth the price alone, just to see these ceramical works.<\/p>\n

Then, to it, let\u2019s head up into the big guy\u2019s belly. Stepping inside the ground level of the museum \u2013 really just the lobby \u2013 and\u2026Holy Christ<\/em>, this place is some kind of gorgeous!<\/p>\n

\"erawan7\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan8\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan9\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan10\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan11\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan12\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan13\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan14\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Are you fricking kidding<\/em> me? How is this even possible<\/em>? I mean, a scenario this astonishingly resplendent shouldn\u2019t even be possible in a dream<\/em> or a movie<\/em>, let alone in real-live live-long life. Yowz!<\/p>\n

Well, so, one will climb the spiral staircase right up into senor\u2019s guts. There\u2019s only one small window, in point of fact, and the view is nothing too scintillating.<\/p>\n

\"erawan15\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But, you know, it\u2019s pretty together.<\/p>\n

Then keep climbing further still, and it\u2019s into the topmost level of the museum \u2013 kinda like an ice palace up there. There\u2019re numerous off-limits-to-photographers wickedly fine Buddha images lining the walls; while the front is a pretty remarkable shrine.<\/p>\n

\"erawan16\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan17\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan18\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan19\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Okay, this is all pretty flabbergasting, ain\u2019t it? But then, the way back down, it\u2019s time to be set agog all over again, as one notices wonders aplenty which had been missed the first time \u2018round.<\/p>\n

\"erawan20\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan21\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan22\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan23\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan24\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan25\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What can one say, apart from \u201cGod damn\u201d?<\/p>\n

Half-inclined to call it a day (maybe even a life<\/em>), now, as, having seen the inside of this place, what the Hell else is<\/em> there?<\/p>\n

But decided instead to try to see if I could wrest some kind of inner meaning from this freakin\u2019 elephant. There must<\/em> be more to it that just, \u201cGee, that son of a bitch is huge.\u201d Er, mustn\u2019t there?<\/p>\n

So I went outside and just lay down on the ground for a while, just to get a different perspective on things. And ended up in the same position for an hour or more, having found\u2026what, am not sure. But, yes, viewed from this angle, the elephant doth begin to take on new, if un-definable, meaning.<\/p>\n

Of course, yes, the photos won\u2019t convey the treasured emanations. But nevertheless, here some are.<\/p>\n

\"erawan26\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan27\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan28\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan29\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan30\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Walked around to the other side, and again lay down on the ground \u2013 this time for more like two<\/em> hours, just drinking it all in. Truly there is some kind of a something going on with this cat. Something more than meets the eye. Je ne sais quoi; but, it\u2019s real.<\/p>\n

\"erawan31\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan32\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan33\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan34\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan35\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"erawan36\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I even took some footage, too. Of a sculpture<\/em>? Well, but, see, the wind came up for a time; and then a bit later some raining. Which events added some manner of dynamism to the setting.<\/p>\n