Ayutthauya

When the Northbound train from Bangkok stopped at Ayutthauya we were the only passengers who got off. For a moment we weren't sure if this was because we had travelled on the second class train (equivalent to first class) and there just weren't a lot of other people on our train or if this sleepy little town might not be worth the stop. We are happy to say it was a delightful place and certainly worth seeing.

Ayutthauya was the capitol of Thailand (Siam) from the 14th to 18th century. It was one of the richest cities in South East Asia in its day but was attacked and destroyed by the Burmese in the middle of the 17th century. The capitol was relocated to Bangkok and the ancient buildings were left unattended and in time unrecognizable as the great city it once was. In the 1980's a restoration project (UNESCO) began and this area is being renovated. It is beautiful and rich in Thai culture and history.

We arrived in the morning and after we checked into our room we began to explore. With map in hand, history book tucked away, and a few bottles of water we set off. It is a relatively small city and so we opted to explore by foot this first day. From a distance we could see an elephant kraal and I will be the first to say it is pretty exciting to see an elephant on the road and in the middle of the day. We walked over to Wat Mongkhon Bophit and Wat Ratburana and along our way we met a young Thai man who wanted to practice his English. He chatted with us for awhile and then took us to the places we had planned to see that day. We appreciated his time and the history of the area he was able to give us.

For dinner we decided to eat at the night market. Small street vendors lined the roadway with an array of culinary delights . Our senses were assaulted with a variety of smell, sights, and the sounds as people began preparing their speciality foods. It was utterly fascinating and, I might add, the beginning of some food habits I may never be able to give up. At the end of a long hot day, a nice cold Chang or Singha beer with a hot piece of fried chicken, some phad thai with some green or yellow curry, spicy shrimp soup in coconut milk and then finished up with strawberry and lychee ice cream with red chili balls is really hard to beat! We sat on some plastic chairs under a tarp by the river and counted this as one of the best meals we have ever eaten! We could hardly wait to do this again the next day!

We had heard that they light up the historical sites at night and it really is a beautiful thing to see. We hired a tuk-tuk and rode through the area and enjoyed the cool evening breeze. A lightening storm was off in the distance and as it flashed against the darkened night sky it added a dimension to our night tour that we will never forget. It was an incredible evening to be right where we were.

The next day we picked up a few bicycles and peddled our way through town. This way we could see more of the area in less time. Traffic drives on the left lane and the rule of thumb is the largest vehicle has the right of way…always. We took the back roads and while it took us a little longer it was certainly worth it to us. It was beautiful to wander through the streets of this little city.

While it was hot and we walked or road our bikes about ten miles each day, we found this area very relaxing. We head to Chiang Mai tomorrow on the train. The ride should take about ten hours and we are excited about heading North and experiencing another part of Thailand. We look forward to our new adventures and all that await us. Will let you know...