Tag: Ayutthaya

It had been humid and in the mid 30s since we arrived, exactly as expected, but then we woke to a rain shower and a cooler day.

Arriving at the railway station in plenty of time, not only to buy our ticket for that day but to pre-book our remaining tickets for the trip and expecting it to be a challenge, we found an office specifically for tourists, where within 10 minutes we had all our tickets booked and paid for – such efficiency!

We had reclining seats and AC for our £7 ticket, as well as a hot snack of curry and rice which we had to turn down still being full from breakfast and travelled the 80 miles north to Ayutthaya. The wind had certainly picked up, and the temperature reduced considerably as we checked into Tamarind, a teakwood guesthouse in the edge of the Historic Park.

After another night of rain, everyone was wandering round in fleeces and coats, even the dogs.

It was less than 20 degrees and I was feeling a little sorry for myself, full of cold no doubt caught on the plane, but slightly happier after a nice cup of hot chocolate … in Thailand!

Fortunately, the following day things starts warming up and by the time we left we were back in the 30s.

Ayutthaya was an island of palaces and pagodas built on canals and waterways and referred to as Venice of the East. By 1685 it had a population of around a million and was one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities in the world, attracting adventurers, traders, diplomats and missionaries. I’ve been reading The Falcon of Siam which covers this period, with its main character Phaulkon beginning as a Greek cabin-boy and rising to be first minister to King Narai based in Ayutthaya and while definitely a novel, it still gives an interesting insight into what life must have been like. Unfortunately, all came to an end in 1767 when Burma, who had made many unsuccessful attempts to invade over the years finally succeeded and devastated the city. The remains were abandoned to the jungle and the capital moved south to Bangkok.

So we’ve been here for four days and have visited quite a few wats, which originally would have been covered in decorated stucco with a central circular tower or prang looking a bit like a cob of corn, surrounded by a number of chedi or spires, a hall either side and a wall round the outside. All that remains are some wonky bits of wall and various bits of column, prang and chedi. We have also been to a couple of wats which are still functioning and have lovely halls or viharn, always with multi-tiered roof and decorated at the end with a kind of finial called a lamyong.

Anyway here are our pick of the wats … Wat Mahathat has a Buddha’s head entangled in the roots of a banyan tree and the main chedi is meant to contain Buddha’s relics …

… and Wat Phra Si Sanphet has a row of three chedi, each containing the cremated remains of a king.

Wat Ratchaburana was built as a memorial to two princes who killed each other in hand to hand combat astride elephants fighting for the crown and still has some remaining stucco, albeit restored, of garudas swooping down on nagas.

We seemed for ever to be walking round one side or other of Wat Phra Ram, so here it is two ways …

Wat Thammikarat is another personal favourite, partly for the splendid lions surrounding the main chedi but also for the amazing display of roosters in honour of a Thai prince who beat a Burmese prince in a bet on a rooster fight.

Then there are the Buddhas … large and small, sitting and reclined, gold and stone and even dressed and being dressed!

 

There are few canals now, apart from those in the ornamental park in the centre of town …

… but Ayutthaya is still surrounded by water and we took a long-tailed boat trip round the island.

We also visited Bang Pa-In where there has been a summer palace since the mid 17C, although the present eccentric melange of European, Thai and Chinese styles dates to the late 19C. Our visit was made surreal by the piped lift music heard in every part of the perfectly manicured gardens as one vista after another opened up …

There was also the local market to check out …

… the noodle stall …

… and also a fish restaurant where they grill Ruby fish to order … delicious.

Not so sure everything was equally delicious at the night market as we were only brave enough to try the little sweet pancakes called kanoom berng.

While we did our sightseeing on foot, some let an elephant or tuk-tuk take the strain!

And finally a couple of sunsets to end our stay here …

Off north by tuk-tuk, train and bus ….