After a surreal last night out in Bangkok my eyes are heavy in the morning but I manage to get up early enough to catch the 8.20 service from Hualumpong to Ayutthaya. It's a pleasant train ride through the thai farmland, rolling past farmers watering their crops and workers harvesting them. I disembark at my destination station, wander down the adjacent street and hop on a hand-made looking little boat which ferries people across the river. Ayutthaya is actually an island surrounded entirely by 3 rivers which converge here. I check in at a comfortable guesthouse called Tony's Place before hiring a bicycle for 40 baht to carry me around the city's ancient sites.Ayutthaya is Thailand's oldest city and was it's capital for 417 years until it was destroyed by the ransacking Burmese in 1767. The ancient remains of the city's temples and palaces lie in ruins which have been named a UNESCO world heritage site and are truly something enchanting to see.
I set out first for the TAT (tourism authority Thailand) but get side-tracked on the way by my first sight of the stunning remains of Wat Phra Ram. I stop for some snaps and after a peculiar Chinese man in a BMW waggles his tongue at me, yes he definitely waggled it, I decide to divert from my course and grab a bite to eat from a dear little lady who cooks me some rice and veg at her lakeside pagoda. Eventually at the TAT a very helpful lady points out the best sites on a map, tells me its all free and shows me an informative video. ahhh a real tourist information! Splendid!I start my tour with Wat Warapho, found accidentally on the way to Wat Worachettharam where a seated Buddha figures ages in front of a tall Chedi. I pause at Wat Lokayasutharam where all that remains are some crumbling walls and a very big reclining buddha, he basks in the sun, seemingly gazing idly into space though surely meditating peacefully. From here I cross the canal back towards the town to two of the main attractions;Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit and Wat Phra Si Sanphet.
The former is a temple housing one of the largest bronze buddha images in Thailand. His presence exudes an atmosphere of serenity and authority. The later located in the Grand Palace compound was the royal temple. Three large chedi's stand majestically defiant against time. Its stunning to walk around the crumbling complex. its amazing the ruins have withstood the tests of time. I cross the river, leaving the island and trundling down a lane to Wat Na Phra Men. It's a monastery , with the main temple housing a stunning gold Buddha image dressed in full regal attire.
It's chinese new years today and there's a huge market in town filled with glorious interesting food. I get a delicious noodle dish with crab, fish and a tasty spicy dressing.
25.01.12
I have time for some more sightseeing before my train today so I walk up to Wat Ratchaburana; an ancient ruined monastery and Wat Mahathat. These are two of the best attractions in Ayutthaya. At Wat Ratchaburana a huge ornate tower rises proudly from the 
ruins surrounded by grand chedi's. The perimeter wall displays odd pieces of stone Buddhas, a line of decrepit torsos in a statue cemetery. At Wat Mahathat a grey stone Buddha head lies encased in tree roots. There can't be a tourist here who doesn't photograph it. Inside the large central prang you can descend a dark stairway to an ornately painted chamber where Buddha relics and antiques were hidden in history. All the ruins in Ayutthaya are stunning, however dilapidated, and steeped in layers of history. They tell a visual tale of a grand ancient city, destroyed, a forgotten capital.
No comments:
Post a Comment