Wat Saket and the Golden Mount

The walk up the steps of this temple is an aesthetically pleasing experience in itself- the memorials and water features that are part of the mount are rather beautiful. There are also a series of bells which you can ring for good luck (I think that is what they are for). At the top stands a square temple in which a series of smaller shrines cluster around a central shrine, set off from the main room by screens. Here people make offerings of gold and flowers to a golden model (I think i was of a building, a lot of gold leaf had obscured the shape) in order to gain merit. Above the main room, accessed by stairs, a bronze cone sticks out of the roof surrounded by statues and offerings. From here there is some great views of Bangkok and good photo oppurtunities for those who like urban landscapes- you can see the mish-mash of architecture that makes up the sprawling city of 11 million people. a word of warning, however, that on a sun day it is incredibly hot up on the roof due to the white painted roof and the bronze monument reflecting the light. The walk back down the mount is as pleasing as the one up and there is a charming coffee shop where you sit a cool off after the roof. Overall, definitely worth a visit!