Buddha Country

A short hour and a half train ride from the metropolitan capital of Bangkok lays the city of Ayutthaya. Previously the capital of Thailand some 400 years ago, it is home to several magnificent Wats and palaces. Bicycle is the best way to explore the sites on the island; however, it requires some dare devil skills to ride across the main bridge to reach Wat Yai Chaimonghkon. Wat Phra Si Sanphet, sporting three identical chedis, was used as a residential palace under the reign of King Ramathibodi I. Other wats included Wat Maha That, showcasing a Buddha head carved in the roots of a tree, and Wat Yai Chaimongkhhon. The latter wat was in the best shape of the three and it included several rows of Buddha images as well as a 7 meter reclining Buddha.

Our next stop through northern Thailand takes us to Sukhothai, another former capital of Thailand. The old city of Sukhothai houses numerous ruins spread over a 70 square meter area divided into five regions. We visited the central and northern regions, which contain the Wat Mahathat and Wat Si Chum. Wat Mahathat is the largest temple in the archaeological site containing several chedis and Buddha images as well as a seated Buddha with golden fingernails. Wat Si Chum highlights a 46 meter tall Buddha with his hand almost touching the ground. The rest of the day was spent pedaling our bikes through the country side in search of other ruins scattered throughout the area.

We were lucky to arrive in Sukhothai to catch the end of the food festival, which includes live entertainment and hundreds of food carts. There were a lot of unidentifiable food choices so we decided to eat them in search of answers but much of our selections still remain a mystery. We tried anything that looked appetizing, highlights included dragon fruit, sausage noodles, and of course the octopi tentacles. We grabbed a pitcher of Leo beer for less than $3 and found a table to gobble down our interesting plates before watching the live dancing and bands. Although we couldn’t understand anything that was said it was a lot of fun. We didn’t stay too long as the “farangs” (foreigners) were melting in the heat and humidity.

Chiang Mai is our next stop for a few days of muay thai boxing, legit massages, and more temples.