Ayutthaya, the former capital of Siam and home to numerous ancient ruins is located 80km north of Bangkok. During its golden age, Ayutthaya controlled an empire covering most of Thailand. In 1767, after nearly 400 years of prosperity, eveything ended when tensions with the Burmese escalated leaving locals fleeing to the jungle an much of the ancient city in ruins.
The easiest, and frankly the most humbling, way to get to Ayutthaya is via the State Railway of Thailand. A round trip journey cost 35 Bhat per person (roughly $1 US) and takes about 2.5 hours each way. The journey was one of the most uncomfortable trips I've ever been on, but I would recommend it to anyone as it reinforced just how good we have it in the US. The train was jam packed with backpackers and locals. There was no AC, only a few fans on the ceiling and the windows were wide open. I half expected someone to board the train with a cage of livestock. Keith & I were drenched with sweat before the train left the station. As we moved along, several locals walked up and down the aisle selling everything from meat on a stick to hammocks. The scenery outside of the windows was filled with tin shacks with clothes hanging out to dry. When we got out of the greater Bangkok area, the train became extremely crowded, so much so that it was a struggle for all of the vendors to walk up and down the isles. Keith & I gave up our precious seats for an elderly woman and a young woman with a baby. Our journey made me realize why so many people emigrate to the states. Living in poverty in the US is a clear upgrade for many of these people.
Upon arrival in Ayutthaya we hopped on a ferry to cross the Chao Phraya River (3 cents per person) and hired a tuk-tuk to drive us around to many of the ancient wats ($18 for 3 hours). The were all impressive.
Wat Yai Chai Mongkol was our first stop. I thought it was the most impressi
ve. Built in 1357, it was a meditation site for monks returning from study in Sri Lanka. There are some colossal Buddhas each one draped in saffron cloth. It was erected in celebration to mark victory over the Burmese in 1593 when King Naresuan overcame the enemy by slaying the Burmese crown prince in an elephant-back duel.
Wat Phanan Choen is the oldest & liveliest working temple in Ayutthaya. Upon arrival the temple was filled with Buddha worshipers each offering saffron colored cloth which was tossed up into the hand of the colossal 19 meter high Buddha. Hallways were filled with more worshipers lighting incenses and candles and leaving food for Buddha. The rooms on the side of the large hall contained hundreds of Buddha statues.
All the wats were impressive. We stopped after seeing about 6 and asked our tuk tuk driver to return us to the train station. We contemplated a more comfortable air conditioned min-bus back to Bangkok but elected to hop on the train once again. Lucky for us, we caught an express that was much shorter, less crowded and much more comfortable than our morning journey.
The easiest, and frankly the most humbling, way to get to Ayutthaya is via the State Railway of Thailand. A round trip journey cost 35 Bhat per person (roughly $1 US) and takes about 2.5 hours each way. The journey was one of the most uncomfortable trips I've ever been on, but I would recommend it to anyone as it reinforced just how good we have it in the US. The train was jam packed with backpackers and locals. There was no AC, only a few fans on the ceiling and the windows were wide open. I half expected someone to board the train with a cage of livestock. Keith & I were drenched with sweat before the train left the station. As we moved along, several locals walked up and down the aisle selling everything from meat on a stick to hammocks. The scenery outside of the windows was filled with tin shacks with clothes hanging out to dry. When we got out of the greater Bangkok area, the train became extremely crowded, so much so that it was a struggle for all of the vendors to walk up and down the isles. Keith & I gave up our precious seats for an elderly woman and a young woman with a baby. Our journey made me realize why so many people emigrate to the states. Living in poverty in the US is a clear upgrade for many of these people.
Upon arrival in Ayutthaya we hopped on a ferry to cross the Chao Phraya River (3 cents per person) and hired a tuk-tuk to drive us around to many of the ancient wats ($18 for 3 hours). The were all impressive.
Wat Yai Chai Mongkol was our first stop. I thought it was the most impressi
ve. Built in 1357, it was a meditation site for monks returning from study in Sri Lanka. There are some colossal Buddhas each one draped in saffron cloth. It was erected in celebration to mark victory over the Burmese in 1593 when King Naresuan overcame the enemy by slaying the Burmese crown prince in an elephant-back duel.Wat Phanan Choen is the oldest & liveliest working temple in Ayutthaya. Upon arrival the temple was filled with Buddha worshipers each offering saffron colored cloth which was tossed up into the hand of the colossal 19 meter high Buddha. Hallways were filled with more worshipers lighting incenses and candles and leaving food for Buddha. The rooms on the side of the large hall contained hundreds of Buddha statues.
All the wats were impressive. We stopped after seeing about 6 and asked our tuk tuk driver to return us to the train station. We contemplated a more comfortable air conditioned min-bus back to Bangkok but elected to hop on the train once again. Lucky for us, we caught an express that was much shorter, less crowded and much more comfortable than our morning journey.
We have many more pictures and movies which we can share upon our return.
1 comment:
So glad to hear Keith is doing soo much better. Renee told me about your trip to the clinic. The blogs are great and am so happy you are having a good time!
Enjoy, Sharon
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