Day 1 to 3: Ayutthaya, Thailand

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After a few months break back home, I have started to travel again.

This time, I am traveling in Asia, as usual, I don't have an end date.

I begin with Thailand, a country I have been to before. But this time, I am trying to cover a bit more offbeat places and avoid the usual suspects.

I started with Ayutthaya, an old historical city about 90KM away from Bangkok.

To those in India, yes, the name is similar to Ayodhya. South Eastern Buddhism has imbibed Ramayan into their culture and in fact many of the kings in Thailand have taken the name Ram. Thailand also has its own version of the Ramayana.

The Ayutthaya Historical Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Established in mid 14th century as the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai, the city was destroyed in war with the Burmese in the 18th century.

But the ruins survived, though never fully restored. There are over 400 sites to explore and I covered only a handful (Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Phra Mahathat, Wat Phra Ram, Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Na Phra Meru). I also visited the night market, which is primarily a food market. The sights, smell and sound can overwhelm you, so I took some time figuring what people are eating before jumping into it.

I found the temples and the whole historical park extremely peaceful and calming. The little lakes around and the greenery add to this feeling.

For anyone seeking to explore Thailand without the hustle and bustle, Ayutthaya should definitely be on your list.

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Photos

Ruins of Wat Mahathat
Wat Mahathat - Sunset is generally the best time to see this particular statue as the setting sun falls on its face

Wat Ratchaburana
Wat Ratchaburana - the night market next to in on weekends is a foodies delight

Buddha in a tree at Wat Mahathat
This Buddha is highly photographed, I was lucky to have a rainbow appearing on it (morning sunlight passing the watering of the grass)

Buddha at Wat Mahathat
Found this particular Buddha extremely peaceful

Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Wat Phra Si Sanphet is the largest of the temple complexes in Ayutthaya

Sunset over Ayutthaya Historical Park
Dramatic sunset over Ayutthaya Historical Park

Comments

[Ruben Grisalena Ramos]

Thanks for sharing!
It is a pleasure to read your blog and comments, have a nice trip!