The dogs are barking in Ayutthaya

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well, figuratively speaking they are barking. i had left chaing mai on an overnight VIP bus bound for bangkok, but asked if i could be dropped off at Ayutthaya (which is on the way to bangkok.) i was informed that yes, this was possible, only i would be dropped off at the superhighway exit for ayutthaya where i was assured there would be a taxi available to take into town. i said great, what time will we get into ayutthaya? about 4.30 am i was told. not a problem i thought. i can just get a drink and some early breakfast at one of the street side stalls that are omni-present in thailand. so i threw my bag on board, jumped on the bus and revelled in how i had managed to save a nights accomodation by travelling overnight on the bus. it wouldnt be that bad i told myself. besides, i have made many a bus trip longer than 8 hours during my hockey days.

the ride itself was fine. i was awakened by the bus stewardess and told we were approaching ayutthaya, so i slipped on my shoes and got my stuff together and hopped off the bus into....complete darkness. well, not complete darkness as the moon was just past full, but pretty dark in that there was no taxi to be seen. i waited a few minutes but nothing appeared so i consulted my guidebook (the bus station was 5 km from ayutthaya city center, and i could see buildings the other side of the superhighway), threw my backpack over my should and started to walk. and walk. and walk some more. over 8 kms in the end. i could have taken a taxi, or songthaew, or tuk tuk in the end for as i approached the town they became evident, but they wanted 100 baht to get me to town and since i had only paid 700 for the VIP bus and an 8 hour, air conditioned ride there was no way i was going to pay them 100 for a 15 min sputter across town. when i finally arrived at my guesthouse my dogs were barking so i treated myself to an a/c room and proceeded to sleep most of the rest of the morning.

come afternoon i had plans to walk around ayutthaya and explore it, but it was too damn hot and i didnt feel like it so i copped out and took a riverboat tour of the city that stopped at several wats and then dropped us off at the night market. ayutthaya is the ancient capital of thailand, and in periods of great wealth many wats were built, and many of their ruins are still around today. see photos. the rest of the city didnt promise to show me much more than i had already seen on the boat tour so i decided to move on after one night to kanchanaburi, home of the bridge on the river kwai (well, at least a reconstructed replica of it.)

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Comments

[Stuart]

Bridge over the river
Incidenlty the bridge in the so called film Kwai is actually located in the south of the Dominican Republic. Why has no one commented on this one?