Blogs from Ayutthaya, Central Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 9

(Marco schreibt) Heute hieß es Abschied nehmen von Bangkok. Nach ein paar Mai Tais am vorigen Abend kamen wir nicht ganz so spritzig aus dem Bett wie gewohnt, aber wir waren immer noch pünktlich um 09:30 am Bahnhof, um in die Königsstadt Ayutthaya zu fahren. Wir wollten nämlich den 10:05 Express Zug bekommen und es wurde uns mehrmals gesagt, dass die Pünktlichkeit der thailändischen Bahn überraschend gut ist. Gegen 11 Uhr begannen wir daran zu zweifeln. Wir standen vollbepackt am Bahnsteig in brennender Hitze, von Regenzeit nichts zu sehen. Typisch Deutsch wurden wir so langsam ungeduldig und siehe da, nach einer knappen Stunde kam der Zug. Als wir diesen dann schließlich bestiegen, äußerte Sandi schon wieder Bedenken, ob es denn auch tatsächlich der richtige Zug sei. Es war das richtige Gleis, es war der Express Zug, ... read more

And so, I embarked on my first solo backpacking trip in my 22 years of life.. A crazy impromptu decision after doing a week's camp in Thailand, Bangkok. Took the money earned from the camp and spent it in a short 8 days adventure to Ayutthaya, Thailand, then to Siam Reap and Phnom Penh, Cambodia, before finishing the journey in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Totally enjoyed the experience of 'pack and go' and do it before you turn your back against the decision. Scattered maps and booking transportation/lodging on-the-go, it was exactly the kind of adventure I would like to try, and continue to do so. So below was the excerpt of my experience: So, that’s the end of my short adventure. Having been to amazing historical places like the palaces, the awe-inspiring Angkor temples, genocide ... read more

9. července, Ayutthaya Uff, tak konečně ležíme po sprše v pokoji u Toníka a užíváme si klimatizace. Ale zpátky k dnešku. Ráno jsme se probudili už před osmou, sešli dolů na snídani, ochutnali guávový džus a vzali si něco z dalšího exotického ovoce - mangosten - zvenku vypadá jako křížec jablka a švestky, ale to je jen sluka, která když se oloupe, objeví se bílá dužina - něco jako liči, která i tak chutná. K mangostenu jsme si vzali i čompú - anglicky rose apple. Jsou hruškovité plody které chutnají jako jablko se spoustou vody - podobně jak má meloun... No něco jako melounové jablko. Potom jsme zaplatili a vyrazili hotelovým přívozem na centrální pier - Saphan Taksim. Odtud Sky Linem za 25 bahtů na Salam Daen odkud to bylo pěšky po mostech zároveň pod SkyLinem ... read more

The centre of Ayutthaya is surrounded by a river so we took a little ferry across and were immediately faced with a lady handing out flyers for a guesthouse. We hadn’t really got anywhere in mind and the place looked pretty good and reasonably priced so we said we’d have a look. The room was by far the best we had stayed in so far, decorated with floral wallpaper and nice furniture. The bathroom was small and the shower awkwardly placed but overall we were impressed and took a room for £7. After checking in we took a walk around and found a shopping mall. We were after a Thai sim card so went in and found a phone shop. Angelo explained that he wanted a sim that would work with his blackberry and the shop ... read more

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 ... read more