Around Bangkok - Thailand

5/30/05

Ayuthaya is 86 kilometers north of Bangkok and it served as the Siamese royal capital from 1350 to 1767.
33 Kings of various Siamese dynasties reigned in Ayuthaya until it was destroyed and conquered by the Burmese.
The city has over 50 temples in ruins which makes it impossible to visit them all in one day; but we got to see some of the most important ones according to our guide.
The first one we visited was the Wat Yai Chaya Mongkol (The great Temple of Auspicious Victory). The laying Buddha and the Stupa were once covered by gold but it got stolen by the Burmese.









We then visited Wat Mahathat that was built in the 12th century. It was burned down almost completely by the Burmese, there are only few walls left.

Though an interesting thing is a Buddha head wrapped in Banyan roots.



Then we moved to another site with another laying Buddha. The laying Buddha in Wat Pho in Bangkok is actually a replica of this one.

After that we went to see a monument for the victory of the Burmese (I can't remember the Thai name). Later the monument got destroyed and rebuilt in Thai-style, with square corners instead of round. This is the only Thai-style Stupa in Ayuthaya.

We went for lunch, nothing really special, and then stopped by the Royal Palace and its temple named Wat Phra Se Sanphet. From the palace, there are only the foundations left.

The temple got built in the 14th century and once contained a 16-meter high standing Buddha covered with 250 kilograms of gold melted down by the Burmese.




Next to it, in Wat Mongkhon Bophit, there is still a 15th century bronze seating Buddha.

The temperature in Ayuthaya, and Bangkok as well, was unbearable. The heat strikes in such a way that makes it hard even to think.

We went back to Bangkok around 4 P.M. and we were dying for some cold drinks.

5/31/05

The lively floating markets on Khlong Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi Province, 104 kilometers south west of Bangkok, is a must see, so we went to check it out.
We went with a tour package in a mini-van where we met a nice French cook from Metz that works for a Sheraton hotel in Luxembourg. The chatting made the 1:30 hour trip seem shorter :D
To reach the market we took a little boat and had a nice fifteen-minute ride through the village.
The place was very interesting; canals were built in a way that one has the impression that the streets were just filled with water and the cars were replaced by little canoes. The houses had little entrances with stairs facing the river decorated with nice plants and flowers.



The market is a bit touristy but still worth a visit. As it was expected, there were boats selling everything that you can find in a normal street market, from fruits to souvenirs.





Around 11 A.M. we were heading back to Bangkok. We relaxed the whole afternoon as it was extremely hot and we didn't feel like walking around the city.

At night, when it was a bit cooler :) we went to Khao San Rd first for my dinner. Angelique wanted something more local, so we went to some other streets where she ate a rice porridge with meat and vegetable from a food stalls. The interesting thing is that they wash their dishes on the sidewalk.



Then we saw some real local food, fried crickets and cockroachers, but Angie did not dare trying this time.