Out and about in Phitsanulok

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After spending a single night on Khao San, I departed via minibus to Ayuthaya. I quickly found out that this bus was part of a tour which I was not entitled to given my one-way ticket status. After the first stop I decided not to partake in the tour, because a) I was feeling a bit under the weather and b) made up my mind that now every wat ever would pale in comparison to Angkor. So, I cut my day planned for Ayuthaya short and headed straight to the train station to find out when I could leave for Phitsanulok, a smallish town 2/3 the way to Chiang Mai. Luckily a train was to leave within the hour, so I settled down to some lunch.

Slowly the realisations that I was Truly Alone and that I was the Only Foreigner Around started to truly sink in. Certainly a scary thought to one who isn't expecting it. But, over the hour I calmed down. Some little children found me particularly amusing and decided I made a good playmate. As the train rolled in (half an hour late, but such is Thailand), I found myself lining up to get on behind-- lo and behold-- another farang! We sat in different seat banks on the train, but due to my malfunctioning window, I was forced to switch seats- fortuitously ending up right across from him! Over the remaining 5 hours of the train, Kent from Australia and I became fairly solid acquaintances. He too had been travelling about a month, but had an impressive Thai vocabulary, which I was eager to absorb (though, according to him, the Thai phrase book I picked up on Khao San waaay back was pretty good. I just didn't need it AT all in the South!). When we finally docked in Phitsanulok, we made our way over to the International Youth Hostel, which had no other tenants. We got a huge room with two clean double beds and the most fantastic shower I've come across yet, even compared to the up-ish scale hotels of the south. That evening we went out to explore a lively night market, where we were the only farang in sight. I felt like it was my first real night in Thailand.

The next day we planned to take a jaunt to Sukothai, but our exploration of the town took longer than expected, so we decided to move that to the next day. Instead, we walked around Phitsanulok, visiting the local temple, which had a really cool display of 18th century Thai ceramics and artefacts. I also purchased some hopeful remedies for my ensuing cough and cold, which so far seem to be brightening things up.
Our excursion to Sukothai, the first Thai capital, and 2 hour bus ride the next day, was pretty successful. We rented bikes to explore Sukothai Historical Park. It of course was nothing next to Angkor, but their collection of HUGE buddhas and various bell-shaped wats did make for a bit of a change of scene.
After a long day we returned to Phitsanulok, exploring again the night market. I got my first Thai massage (only 100B!!!) which was a total life saver, and has me totally wanting more.
We got our bags and were planning to catch the 12.30 night train up to Chiang Mai. However, upon arrival we found the only train available to be a 500B sleeper. I don't know if it was because of my newly-developed bargaining sense, or that I was travelling with a particularly adventurous and thrifty boy, but we decided to tough out a night at the train station and take the 65B train at 7.30. Needless to say it was a long night. It was a long, in and out of sleep train ride too, but we arrived in Chiang Mai without much incident, albeit really tired.

After finding a reasonable guesthouse, I took a quick jaunt out to find myself in the middle of the Sunday Walking Market, a HUGE street market. I walked around for over an hour, but given my sleeplessness and so forth, was not really having any of it. It was an early night, and a good solid 12 hours later both of us are feeling right as rain.
So! now its time to explore Chiang Mai and the surround! I'm sure there will be some stories.
Until next time,
Emma~

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Photos

One Wat in Ayuthaya
Admittedly pretty cool, but the rest were the same same ruiny-types. Enough!

Phitsanulok Wat Maharasat
It had lots and lots and lots of Buddhas.

Old Pottery!
18th Century I think. In the Museum in Phitsanulok.

Really, Really Big
A Buddha at Wat Maharasat, Sukothai.

Somewhere between 1 and 7 am...
...at the train station in Phitsanulok.