Today, the four of us continued in our tourist ways by taking a day trip to Ayuthaya. Of course I had been there a few times already, so it wasn't anything new for me. But I still enjoy visiting the sites. This time we visited old temples that are still being used (Wat Phana Choeng), old temples that are tourist attractions, but in good shape or recently restored (Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon and Wat Chai Wattanaram), and old temples that are not much more than piles of bricks, thanks to the Burmese invasion of 1767 (Wat Phra Mahathat and Wat Phra Si Sanphet).
At the ruins, Piyawat kept muttering under his breath how sad it was that the Burmese destroyed such a beautiful city. Although the ruins are fun to explore, I agree that it would have been facinating to see these temples as they once were.
And speaking of destruction, we also talked a lot about New Orleans and what was happening there today thanks to Hurricane Katrina. Pepe and Piyawat were friends at Tulane Law School and both spent a year in New Orleans, and so the fate of another facinating city was always in the backs of our minds as we walked around Ayuthaya.
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| Pepe, Piyawat, and Jorge walk along the ruins at Wat Phra Si Sanphet | Pepe strikes the bells with the wooden stick, playing music for the angels at Wat Phana Choeng |
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| The head of the giant, 19 meter tall Buddha image at Wat Phana Choeng | Me, in front of the beautiful Wat Chai Wattanaram |
I would recommend taking Piyawat`s friends to Chaing Mai to see "elephant Nature Park" Conservation Eco park of Khun Sangdoen Chailert.
or FAE hospital of Khun Soirada Sawala in Lampang. Or Hill tribe treks. Now that the memmories about real Thailand, which they don`t have in Spain!. Pasar Buena viaje, Hombres!
I think Ayuthaya is a great choice for someone visiting Thailand for the first time. Believe me, Thaiteak, even the places that may be most ordinary for you, are enough for us to see how amazing Thailand can be. In Spain we have ruins and old buildings of many kinds from 2000 years old to the present, but there's nothing like Ayuthaya.
Thaiteak: If we had more time, I would have loved to take them to Chiang Mai. That will have to wait for another week or so, when I take two American friends to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai for a long weekend.
And I agree with you Alex, it's the perfect day trip. It took us only one hour to make the 80 KM trip to Ayutthaya from Bangkok. You can hit a few sites in say 4 or 5 hours, and an hour for lunch, and its a perfect 8-hour day.
- Stuart
Alex,"BELIVEVE ME" the world knows you have ancient structures and Ayuthaya is hardly ordinary to me. It is only a recommedation not argumentation and it is not for you BELIEVE ME. Besides conservation project does good for human`s body and soul.