We have almost been here a week now and one of my favorite things about this country is all the beautiful colors! Pink houses, green-plated temples, yellow government buildings. It makes exploring so much fun! And that is what we have been doing the last week – exploring. Here are a few of my favorite colorful finds:

Blue

We found this adorable house while wandering the back streets near our hotel in Bangkok. A country could not gain the name “The Land of Smiles” with drab paint jobs. A person has to smile at this house! And there are many, many houses like this, so the smiles just keep spreading around!

Green

The color of lush gardens, thick jungles, and everything in between. We are really excited to see more of the green countryside.

Gold

Used for the most sacred buildings and objects. Imagine walking down a bustling city street and then, bam! you are hit with a shimmering, golden wat. It is breathtaking.

Happiness…?

I really wanted a reason to put this picture in because the statues make me so happy! Plus, everything in this garden is perfectly placed.

White

The white elephant is the most sacred animal of Thailand. Anciently, they were given as gifts between kingdoms. It could be  a compliment or a death wish to recieve a white elephant. It could be a compliment because the king with the most white elephants was the most powerful; however, these animals were so sacred they could not be put to work. Can you imagine how much food it would take to sustain an elephant? 

Orange

It’s really interesting to observe all the monks. Anyone can be a monk, and most men in Thailand will spend at least a little bit of time as a monk as kind of a right of passage. 

Black

Since it is such a colorful place, I haven’t seen a ton of black, but I absolutely love this building! The shape actually reminds me of a marai in New Zealand. The connection makes sense as the culture could have been passed down, but I will have to do a little more research on that. 

We are currently living in a small town in Mae Chaem so we don’t have internet unless we walk about 25 minutes. When we get internet next, you will read of our adventures with elephants, rice fields, and lots and lots of delicious food! Stay tuned:)