Obama gets taste of Thailand at Buddhist temple

BANGKOK (AP) ? Leaving behind chants of "Obama, Obama" by adoring crowds on the streets, the president of the United States stepped into the serenity of Thailand's most famous temple compound to marvel at its centerpiece -- a gigantic, gilded statue of a reclining Buddha.

The Temple of Reclining Buddha, formally known as Wat Pho, was the first stop on President Barack Obama's Asian tour that will also take him to Myanmar and Cambodia.

Observing traditional custom, Obama took off his shoes as a saffron-robed monk led him through the 18th century temple's stoned paved compound of multi-colored spires and chapels with hundreds of gilded Buddha images.

But the main attraction is the reclining Buddha statue that at 46 meters (150 feet) long stretches half the length of a football field.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-18-AS-Thailand-Obama's-Temple-Trip/id-7a30c2cf442d40b8a227b8e5074abc8f

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