The Capitals of Siam

Spending as long in southern Thailand as I did, I was a bit restless by the time I finally moved on; I really wanted to see other places and things, but still climb. This is one reason that the places aside from Ton Sai have been so splendid. What a blessing a hot shower in a city can be after staying in Ton Sai where you never 'really' get clean from the freezing cold ones; let alone sweating constantly. Also, this was a place where the entertainment on a rest day is going to Railay to stare at tourists as if they are zoo animals (or beached whales). Yeah, culture is important, and I was ready to get my fill of it. This is why Kuala Lampur, Bangkok, Cambodge, and now northern Thailand have been so fantastic for me...

Upon leaving Cambodge and returning once again to Thailand, I was given a 14 day tourist visa at the border (if curious why so short, see December entry), and stayed a night in Bangkok.

The next day I jumped on a bus headed north to Ayutthaya, Thailand.

Ayutthaya is located at the conjunction of the Lopburi, Prasak and Chao Phraya Rivers. It was founded in 1350 by King U-Thong and was the capital of what was then known as Siam. This is why Thailand is often called Siam.
Through out my travels, every contry I journey to, be it on this side of the planet or the other; everywhere has ancient history of the people and also arcitecture. Except the US (at least not much anyway), and it has been fascinating to wrap my mind around a place this old while I come from a country so young.

Over the next 417 years Ayutthaya was ruled by 33 kings and repelled 23 (WOW!!!) Burmese invasions, before the Burmese finally succeeded in razing it to the ground and pilfered much of the relics and Buddha statues and melted them down for the gold.


In the city's prime, it was surrounded by a 12-kilometer-long wall which was five meters thick and six meters high with 99 gates. It had brick and clay roads and canals to transport water into the city.

When I visited this city, it was really the first time I actually had to use the Thai dictionary. Everywhere else I had been so far, I could get by with pointing or talking enough to where I said so many different words and phrased things in many ways that the person I would talk to finally understands one or two of the words, and it was no problem. Ayutthaya however was a bit of a different game. I found a guest house finally after walking about 2 hours with all my travel gear and climbing gear, and setteled in. I arranged to rent a bike which I took out the next day to see the sights. Amazing....



















This is a temple that holds a marvelously large Bronze Buddha statue.
















This is a famous reclining Buddha figure often seen in photos of Thailand. The thing is HUGE! Look at how small I am compared to it! It is adorned in a robe as monks wear to protect it from the elements as well a it being tradition for revered Buddha figures to wear robes.
















The next day, it was time to move on again and I took a bus north to Sukothai.

Sukothai means 'the dawn of happiness'.
It was founded in the 13th century as the Kingdom's first capital overseeing a period seen as a Thai golden age. Thai arts and culture prospered throughout the reign of eight Sukhothai kings, including King Ramkhamhaeng, who created the Thai alphabet. Gradual decline began in 1365, with the city eventually became a subservient state to Ayutthaya where the capital was moved.


Flowers sold in the market and used to adorn the temples.



The first night I arrived in Sukhothai there was a city festival, and this photo is from a concert where the Thai band 'Clash' preformed.

Totally different to think about ancient kingdoms then attend a Thai punk rock concert! None the less, the festival was great fun!

The next day, I hired a tuk-tuk to take me around the historical park to see the sights. Beautiful.



















The park is beautiful and kept in great condition.


This is a large Buddha statue...so big!




























Intricate paper decorations, much like the one I bought from the little girl in Cambodge I wrote about.






A breathtakingly large Buddha relic with gold-leaf pressings covering the hands.
























Look how small my hand is compared to it!!
Thai people sell little birds in small cages that you can buy to release at the temple for good luck.
Good for the bird, good for me. And I kept the cage...broke it and threw it away. Typical.


The long walk up the stone path to a Wat that was built overlooking the city from a hill-top.





It was a beautiful view.




























This is a beautifully preserved Wat adorned with white elephant statues around the base.
Elephants or 'chang' are very significant in Thai culture and are considered one of the 10 sacred animals in Buddhism.
Next entry will be on Chiang Mai, stay tuned because that one will be positively enlightening.