Advertisement
Published: December 25th 2005
We weren't able to write for a bit because we were on the move a lot, and then I didn't really feel like it when I heard Nana was sick, but it sounds like she'll be okay, so I better catch up with it.
First of all, Merry Christmas to everyone.
We just got off the phone to Nana's and I'm really sorry we couldn't talk to everyone that was there but we're in the sticks and the line was rotten, so I just needed to let Dad know we were okay and check that Nana was.
Okay,
Days 15 & 16: Chapter Five - Ketchup: Part One - Ayutthaya.
First a tip: If you ever happen to drive with a Thai man, don't sit in the front seat. What's that line from the Fast Show, HG? - 'We're going off road'. Something like that, only in this instance, we're pelting down a highway and every time we hit a jam due to road works, our driver decides to drive through the road works, barely dodging tractors and deep ditches in the process. And all the while he's talking on his mobile and changing gears
with an elbow. I don't know what was more horrid, his driving technique, or his Dido ringtone.
Anyway, we got there.
We had a pretty good time in Ayutthaya. The temple ruins are really interesting, quite good to take photos of. We got up early to walk around them, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.
Not so relaxing was the stray dog situation; there are stray dogs all over Thailand, and it breaks your heart not to pat them, but they're so bloody mangy you don't risk it. In Ayutthaya though, there are packs of them and they can get a bit aggro when you walk down the street at night. Also, there was some sort of fireworks event going on one of the nights so they were all howling, poor buggers.
It might help if the town employed a garbo or two. This was definitely the grottiest place in Thailand so far. Rubbish in piles everywhere. Don't know what that was all about.
Other than that it wasn't a bad place to wander around because I think most people who visit come from Bangkok on a day trip, so most people
are just getting on with their own business, and aren't overly interested in travellers.
There's a really nice restaurant across from Wat Ratchana Buri (I'm sure that's the wrong spelling), called Malakor, if anyone goes there.
Oh yeah, we stayed at the P.U Guesthouse. Well we had to didn't we?
Stuart's bargaining skills are developing apace. He got a bunch of postcards down from 100B, to just 40B. So far, he's been too relaxed to write any though.
I think I better start the next part on a new page so I can fit in some photos.
And so to the forest....
Advertisement
Tot: 0.08s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 8; qc: 50; dbt: 0.0502s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Rufous
non-member comment
Tommy & bourgainvilleas
Yeah yeah - nice bricks. (Shame about the tourist getting in the way of the arty one). But where are the promised crowns of leaves and tigers and elephants and the like tho, eh? Or is it all an elaborate ruse (LIE!) to keep us checking back? You'll WALK into an advertising job when you get back. Liking the sleepy Buddha. Whoever would have thought that trees could be so snug and apparently comfy? Dar es salaam! (Or whatever the Thai is for 'bon voyage'...)