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Published: February 7th 2009
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Monday, February 2nd, 2009 We've probably said it a hundred times since starting this trip: "This is the only way to travel!" We're amazed each day at just how natural this kind of free traveling comes to us. It's fantastic! We're loving it!!! We're also learning about each other, what trigger points we each have, how to better handle stressful situations as a couple, keeping a budget, loving each other and being kind even when we're exhausted etc. We are growing closer and closer everyday.
After a very noisy but somehow restfull night we set out fairly early for some sightseeing. We started with our first Túk-Túk ride to Wat Phra Mahathat where we saw the buddah head entwined in vines. We then went to Wat Ratburana (more of the same pointy things called chedi) followed by Wat Phra Mongkon Bophit. There we saw the biggest sitting bronze buddha in Thailand, 16.65m tall. Pretty big. We headed back to the guesthouse to grab a quick shower before we had to check out at 12:00. After the worst heat of the day had past we walked to Wat Phanan Choeng where we saw a 19m high buddha. Massive (but not bronze)!
Wat Phra Mahathat
Buddha head in vines Lots of people worshipping there. The Wat was on the other side of the river so we took the river ferry to get across and back again. We then had many hours to kill before our night train to Chiang Mai, so we headed back to the guest house for dinner. Around 21:00 we walked to the ferry platform and took the ferry across to the train station. Our train was supposed to arrive at 23:30 but it was 50mins late, so we entertained ourselves by playing Snap!
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 At 00:20 our train finally arrived and we put Ayuthaya to our backs and our backs on our beds. Oh it's good to be horizontal again!
Today's highlights:
1. Negotiating our first Túk-Túk ride
2. Saw 16.65m tall buddha (free)
3. Saw 19m tall buddha (also free)
4. Getting on the sleeper train to Chiang Mai (first time on a sleeper train for Talita).
Later...
We woke to find ourselves in the northern part of Thailand. The flat countryside of central Thailand had been replaced by hills covered with bamboo and palm jungle. Gorgeous! After the more than 13hr train ride we finally arrived
in Chiang Mai. We were picked up and transported to our hotel called the Winner Inn. There we ate a very late lunch where our waiter couldn't even understand sign-language and proceeded to get every order wrong (was apparently his first day). We bought tickets for dinner and a show of traditional dancing. Talita has been dying to see the dancing ever since we came to Thailand! The following day we'd leave for a three-day trek into the hills to ride some bamboo rafts, meet the hill tribes and ride Indian elephants. We met our guide called BM and the rest of our group. The group consists of Mike Walsh, a very cool 46 year old American, Tony and Siubhan from Ireland, Sarah & Aisling from Britain and 3 French girls. Mike joined us on our visit to the Thai Cultural Centre and we soon became good friends (He reminds us a lot of you, Mark Gray). We sat together and had a ton of food while watching the traditional dancing. It was a tremendous evening!
Today's highlights:
1. Getting a backpack free of charge for the trekking
2. Meeting Mike from San Francisco
3. Traditional Thai dancing
4.
Wat Ratburana
Buddha & prang Finaly getting GPRS activated so we can email whenever we like!
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