Sukothai

---

One of the recurring discussions we've been having lately is about the difference between being on holiday and "travelling". Travelling in the sense of it being a serious undertaking - more akin to a profession than a connected series of holidays in different countries. Everybody we see (and that includes us as well) consults the bible known as "Lonely Planet" and we end up reducing countries to some well known sights, historical and physical and treading the same well worn "off the beaten path" track.

Recently we visited the ancient capital of Thailand called Sukothai - it's about six hours north of Bangkok by bus. It's a UNESCO world heritage site so no it's not something we found for ourselves. There were not too many of us there today as we are in the off season here in Thailand. We hired some bicycles and saw the main sights in the park and then we followed some maps and found ourselves a few kilometres outside the old city walls in the countryside with people going about their daily lives and suddenly the perspective changed. We cycled past a few crossroads with houses and shops and then from behind the trees saw another standing Buddha in a temple eight centuries old and suddenly we began to feel like travellers.

It may sound ridiculous but the simple fact of having made a physical effort to go (very slightly) off the beaten track, albeit one advocated by the guidebooks, coupled with the fact that we were practically the only people there made it feel special.

The ultimate goal of finding something not mentioned in any guide book may or may not be achievable for us on this journey but we are sure to have a more interesting time actively seeking it than simply following without question. P.

---