The woman was taking photos on the top of the stairs in Wat Arun

The ferry terminal is located near the Tha Tien market on the Chao Phraya River. After leaving the market, I headed for the pier and quickly boarded the ferry. The ferry was just a river ferry. I soon arrived at the opposite shore. It was a short ride to Wat Arun on the other side. The ferry is laid up inside the temple grounds, so when you get off the boat, you are already inside the temple grounds.

Wat Arun is not only the Buddhist temple mentioned in Yukio Mishima's novel but also one of the most prestigious temples in Thailand. The Emerald Buddha, now enshrined at Wat Phra Kaew, was originally enshrined here.

A large stupa, the symbol of this temple, stands at the center of Wat Arun. It is said to resemble Mount Sumeru, which is believed to rise in the center of the ancient Indian worldview. However, even as I approached the stupa, I did not feel as if I had left this world behind. Since this temple is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Bangkok, tourists are everywhere. Each one of them takes pictures to preserve their memories of the trip, reminding us of this world. It was as crowded as an amusement park, so much so that it was difficult to find a place where there were no tourists. I was one of those tourists, though.