Cycling Around Like a Headless Buddha

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Due to a lack of demand, I became unable to get a minibus from Kanchanburi to Ayutthaya and had to make do with the local buses. This was slightly intimidating simply because I had not done it before. Also, there was no direct bus and a transfer needed to be made in a non-touristy local town. I could not complain. This is what travelling is all about. On both buses I took the back seat, simply because there was more room for my bags. A couple of monks hopped on and being totally ignorant monk-bus custom, I thought nothing of it. What I was supposed to have done was give up my seat. One chap, in his fifties, and a Thai soldier instantly gave up their seats, with myself still firmly rooted to mine. I got a couple of odd looks from locals but at the time I did not understand why. I just thought it was pleasant sitting next to a couple of monks, on a local bus in east Thailand. Stuff like this seldom happens at home so I fully appreciated the moment.

On the first night, I booked a tour to see some of the temples that were lit at night. Just fifteen minutes before I was due to leave, the mother of all tropical storms let loose on the town. The tour was cancelled athough I did get to witness a fantastic natural event. It went on for a good couple of hours with a good few lightning bolts striking less than one hundred yards away. The crack they made were deafening. I never knew when one was to strike, so every time I jumped and my heart raced. Absolutely terrifying yet exhilarating.

The following day I rented a mountain bike and made for many of the ruined temples of the ancient city. The ruins were very attractive and gave the strong impression of past grandeur. At my first stop, Wat Phra Mahathat, I came across a very interesting sight. A Buddha head has been engulfed by tree roots to be at one with the tree. Nobody knows how it got there and is arguably the biggest mystery in Ayutthaya. Very photogenic and addictive to look at. Eventually, I pulled myself away to drift around many of the ruins, in the sweltering heat. The main feature of the Ayutthaya temples are the Buddha figures. In the 18th Century, the Burmese ransacked many of the temples. Many treasures were looted, brick towers left to crumble and Buddha statues decapitated. Only a few temples were left unscathed. It gave the area an eerie feel with a great sense of history.

My map seemed pretty easy when I had prepared it the night before. What it didn't take into account was the small side streets. This left me riding around in circles. The exercise was pretty intense. I drank five bottles of water on the way round and did not go to the toilet once. Sweat city! One visit was to a temple called the Golden Monument. It was a five kilometre ride out of town that had a slight gradient. Nightmare. The temple was so tall I could see it from a long distance yet it did not seem to get any closer. Nearly collapsing, when I arrived, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. The large chedi started level and as it tapered towards the top, it began to lean. It was amazing it was still standing up. Seventy-nine large steps was the next challenge. When I reached the top I found a monk, eyes closed, reciting some Bhuddhist verses of some sort. A great way to relax after burning all of the calories. What I forgot was that I had to make my way back.

The journey back seem to take forever. I bit my tongue and persevered. I lost my sense of direction several times more until I eventually gave up. On the way to the hotel I came across an elephant show. These animals were able to do many baffling tricks and I was truly impressed. Unfortunately I got put off by the way they were handled. Their trainers were very rough with them if they did anything slightly wrong. I did not want to stick around.

Following a power nap, my rearranged night tour was partaken. The temples were more beautiful at night, when lit by the deep orange glow. Initially I was unable to do them justice with my photographs but I fiddled with some settings and got some nice ones. Pretty pleased with myself, my tour companions from Northampton, made for our hotel after a spot of dinner. As the night previously, the weather turned. This time I was caught in it. Unlike many others riding motorcycles, we thankfully had a roof. I still somehow was drenched when we arrived back, even with a rainproof top on. Anyhow, this was not enough to spoil a very productive and satisfying day, in a tip-top city.

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