First Stop Sukhothai, Destination North

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Hello one and all!!
After several attempts to get my travel blog up and running, here it is - alive and on the web! Sukhothai was the first stop on my planned two and a half month jaunt around northern Thailand, Laos and if time and funds are still holding up, western Cambodia.
March 2nd I caught the train from Bangkok and arrived to Phi-lok (a town an hour outside of Sukhothai) in the evening, settling in to my Chinese, American wild west, Harley Davidson themed guesthouse, the London Hotel. Getting there by rail was great because the views are not of passing cars and gas stations, but of quaint village whistle stops, rice fields and mountain jungle.
The next day, I got on the bus to the historic district of Sukhothai, the former capital of Thailand, even before Ayuthaya. I rented a bike at the gate for 20 baht and spent the day peddling around the temple ruins and chedis in the area. It is such a fantastic place to cycle because there is very little traffic, beautiful ponds and narrow paths that take you wherever you want to go. I was most fascinated by the many Buddhas, weathered by 700 years of sitting quiet in meditation.

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Photos

Buddha's feet
Offerings of incense and paper lotus flowers

Buddha Image
More than 700 years in meditation. A stone image of Buddha, Sukhotthai.

Ladies in Hats
Banana sellers inside the main gate.

Temple Ruins
Ancient ruins of the former capital of Thailand.

Comments

[Belle]

woahhh
Emmy! Please update this all the time. I loved reading this entry and wanna know what youre going to be doing- the photos are beautiful. Keep it up. Love belle.

[Mairéad]

Well done!!
Congrats on getting the blog up and going Em, you're first entry is fantastic! This is going to be like geography lesson for me too!! Did you take those pics or can you select them from an on-line catalogue? They're great! I'm still into phototgraphy and just recently bought a small digital, my manual SLR is sometimes too big.. Hope you're having fun and look forward to reading your next entry!! X X

[Soteria]

fantastic!!!
in my next life I've asked to be you. I hope you can meet us in Tokyo!!! love you

[Jane LaPorte]

Vicarious Mother
Thanks you for the text and pictures. While reading your entire blog, I did not want it to end. If you can wash an elephant in the river, how come I could never get you to wash the car in the driveway$#! Please take more pictures and provide more text. The snake thing was creepy and scary. I checked your bank account, and if you need more funds, I could spare a little. What an education. Bravo to the world traveler. Lots of Love from South Carolina and your family

[Kathy Gaffos]

Bravo Em!
Emily, I saw your mom about a month ago and she told me about your traveling the world...Good for you,girl! Your first blog is amazing and I look forward to traveling with you from my computer chair! Would love to see some pictures with YOU in it too....take care and embrace your freedom and sense of adventure....it's a wonderful gift. I'm going to send this to the kids,too...hope you remember me. Love,Mrs. Gaffos, Kathy, or whatever!