Our plan for the day was to see Ayutthaya, ancient capital of Siam, which is about 90 kms from Bangkok. Having researched how to get there, we decided on 3 rd class train from Hua Lamphong Station which cost us a grand 15 Baht each for the two hour journey. Who needs air con when there are open windows and every second ceiling fan works?!
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| Hua Lamphong station |
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| Sawatee! |
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| Karl finding a seat. |
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| Blinds down |
We hired rickety old bikes for 40 Baht and then made our way to the pontoon to cross the river. I hadn't anticipated steep concrete steps down to the pontoon or having to carry the bike onto the barge and then having to carry the bike up steep steps on the other side! We finally made it!
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| Off we go! |
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| River crossing with our bikes. | |
It was a little hair raising riding down the roads on these old contraptions with no bike helmets and chaotic traffic. We made it to the first little temple and had a quick look. The architecture and building style is notably different from Angkor Wat in that the ruins appear to be made of small pre-made bricks as opposed to huge stones.
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| First stop! |
Then we found some cycle paths and felt much safer and tootled onto Wat
Mahathat. We did enjoy wandering around the ruins and noted how wobbly
the foundations were with buildings at all different angles. Unlike
Angkor Wat, climbing on the ruins is prohibited and the boys found this
"boring". It was different and amazing with a row of Buddhas, now
headless, lining the internal walls of the Great Hall.
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| Karl standing there to show uneven foundations. |
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| Prang! |
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| The strangler figs entangling themselves around the walls. |
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| Buddha head tangled in vines - "All life knows suffering" |
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| Note bricks as opposed to rocks. |
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| Headless Buddhas flanking the internal wall of the Great Hall. |
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| Large Buddha |
We continued along the paths and wending our way over little bridges until we reached the Grand or Ancient Palace. It is surrounded by ramparts and we looked from behind the wall!
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| Stupa |
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| Love the bike riding! |
Elephants from the nearby Elephant Camp paraded up and down the roads in their yellow and red regalia.
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| Lovely trail through the old city. |
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| Ramparts surrounding Wat Ratchaburana |
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| Luke sat on the back of the bike - not always a willing passenger! |
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| Love these great creatures! |
We rode back to town to return our bikes and have a very late lunch, which cost little and was excellent.
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| Not sure what waterbird this is - a stork? |
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| Pad Thai - always slightly different but just as tasty! |
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| Finally, his lunch arrived. Luke always seems to be served last and is the least patient! |
Then the "express" train back to Bangkok, which also took two hours and cost 20 Baht each! We caught a taxi most of the way home after he took us to a tailor shop so he could get a "Coupon" and then the driver discovered he'd lost his phone and dropped us near Lumpini Park so he could go back and find it!
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| Casually just walking over train lines as you do in Thailand. |
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| "Express train" |
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| Late afternoon sun streaming through as we travel. |
The mandatory evening swim was refreshing after all the dust and dirt of the day!
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