There are so many things to see and do in Bangkok, and for me temples are a must-see. Fortunately, Bangkok has thousands of them all over the city.

I was eager for Lucas to see the temples. I had many memories of my own visits to temples in Thailand, Cambodia, and even within the Philippines, and I wanted him to see things that were new and different, especially after our misadventure at Wat Suwan.

I can’t remember if I had visited this temple with my parents when I was a child, but it was certainly a treat to visit Wat Po with Lucas. I did my best to explain to him what I knew of Buddha and Buddhism, though mostly I just pointed out to him the different statues and the intricate designs on the buildings.

It helps that we saw cats soon after we walked in! I had to remind myself that Siamese cats are originally from Thailand.

He was fascinated and curious. “Let’s look over there!” he would say, pulling me towards a doorway. “What’s that?” he would ask, pointing at something. I was happy that he followed, without question, when I told him to take off his sandals and his hat every time we entered a temple building. I explained to him what my Thai friend Tum told me years ago, that you are not supposed to show the soles of your feet to Buddha.

Lucas was awed by the place. He saw the ornate designs on the monuments, and dragged me towards each large building because he wanted to see every Buddha. He was fascinated by the fact that even windows and doors were covered in intricate carvings and brilliant colors. And the gardens and the cats made things even more interesting.

I was happy that he was so enthusiastic.

I took pictures here and there, and he’d ask me for his phone so he could take pictures too. Then he saw the reclining Buddha, and was at a loss for words for a little while–a rarity, if you know anything about my son!

I reminded him to take sips of water, because it was really hot. He noticed how, when faced with Buddha in some of the bigger buildings, people’s voices became hushed, and it was like the noise of the city fell away.

It made me happy to see him so fascinated by this new experience. Perhaps I was a little hard on him when he saw his first temple, but I just wanted him to find joy in travel, to marvel at the unfamiliar. And I think he did.