We bought tickets for a train from Hua Lumphong station (which thankfully turned out to be pretty close to where we live) up to Ayutthaya - get this - FOR 15 baht!! That's 50 cents! For a 2.5 hour train trip! Granted, it's not exactly a luxurious ride, but it gets you from Point A to Point B.
Hua Lumphong:
Pulling away from the station:
Passing another train - pretty close!
Our ride for the next few hours:
Crossing over one of Bangkok's many canals on the way outta town:
Fellow passenger:
We passed these along the way - remnants of the highways that couldn't be completed after the financial bubble burst here more than a decade ago..
We arrived as the sun was setting and after dropping bags off at our adorable bed & breakfast, took a stroll down to the closest ruins.
Much to explore for the next day!
This is a really common sight in Thailand - and such a convenient invention in my mind. It's a motorbike that's been adapted to add a side car AND a mini restaurant! The food (kebabs, in this case) is displayed in the case. You pick which one you want, and then he grills it up for you (notice the blue propane tank in front). And there's even a handy roof attached so he can drive around in the rain or not bake in the hot sun.
Leaving our room for breakfast the next day, Husband noticed he had a visitor on his arm.
He was so tiny, we could actually see through the lil guy's body and watch his heart beating!
On to the sites!
Ayutthaya (pronounced eye-oot-ee-yuh) was founded in 1350 by those escaping a smallpox outbreak in Lop Buri. It is estimated to have reached a population of 1million by 1700, and there was a huge monk presence as massive wats (temples) had been built all throughout the area.
Sadly in 1767, the city was attacked by their Burmese neighbors in a fairly brutal fashion - homes burnt, temples destroyed, rapes, murder, and so on. The remains are quite impressive to walk around today - or in our case since it was so hot - we rented bikes to get around and stay cool.
There are a few legends about this tree on the grounds of Wat Mahathat, which miraculously has a buddha head amongst the vines - perhaps thieves were stealing statues and the head broke off and was absorbed by the tree? You can't see very well from below, but there is a chained off area in front of the tree so you cannot touch the buddha, and a guard making sure that close pictures are taken from a kneeling position (so your head is lower than the buddha's).
It was ridiculously hot, but the clouds cooperated for some nice photos.
We saw this, and thus began the fascination with Khun Gai (Mr. Chicken). Why so many roosters? What do they represent that this temple thinks their presence is essential?
I think I wrote about this from an earlier beach vacation - the "sexy photo shoot." It happens all over and it's hilarious to watch people in the middle of their shoot, posing and being ridiculous...but at a temple??
Another buddha, another rooster.
The temple ahead houses one of the largest buddhas in Thailand...
This buddha was just outside. For a small charge, adherents can get small pieces of gold leaf to add to the buddha's exterior.
Big buddha inside:
In front of the buddha, girls would take this open cylindrical container with chopstick-length sticks, and shake the cylinder up and down until one stick would fall out. Then they'd pick up the stick and examine it - I'm guessing each had special writing?
Wat Phra Si Sanphet - a former part of the royal palace, and subsequently was used as a monastery. The ashes of three Ayutthaya kings are housed in the three chedis (massive towers - two visible here):
It was ridiculously hot and all living creatures hid in whatever shade they can find. This one blended in and was kind of startling once we noticed him:
Mini buddha through the window:
The three chedis
Nearby market - an array of pickled and sweetened fruits and veggies:
And fried versions of everything you can imagine:
This was fascinating - this women held a clump of a doughy blob, dotted some on the hot wheel, then peeled it up as it cooked into a crepe pretty quick (see the nice stack on the dish next to her).
We walked and rode bikes. Others went old-school and caught the elephant taxi.
I was kind of okay with the elephant taxi (debating what is the difference between this and horseback riding)...that is until we saw where they were kept. They had the elephants not giving rides kept in tight quarters with chains and made to dance to Beyonce. Um, no thanks.
Temple of the reclining Buddha, Wat Lokayasutharam. There's something so beautiful about the interaction of an old respected Buddha statue and the constant care paid to it by those nearby and the new robes draped over the Buddha.
There was a Portuguese market we'd heard of, and wanted to visit before catching out train. We drove off the island and wove around the river for 20 minutes. But when our tuk tuk pulled up into a gravel road with no market in sight, we started to wonder. He gestured us into an open-air covered building. A few men were working on light fixtures, and painting. A glance into the pit...
So, I guess "old Portuguese market" means former graveyard?
So back to the main island we went. It was incredibly hot but oh-so-beautiful and lush as well!
Really cool local tuk-tuk...check out the side painting!
For those venturing to Ayutthaya, I highly recommend you stay here. Low-key, good service, cute rooms, great location.
More rad local tuk-tuks at the train station:
Not super comfy to ride in the back, but it does get you from point A to point B pretty well.
Til the next time!
