Biking in Ayutthaya
Our trip to Thailand was a whirl wind to say the least. There were things that I loved and things I could have done without. Every time we travel, we learn more and more what we enjoy and look forward to in the experience and what we would like to avoid next time. After a quick overnight stay in Bangkok, we hopped on a train for a two hour ride to Ayutthaya.
Crazy Ayutthaya train ride hair, don't care!
Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand from 1300 - mid 1700's and collapsed after the Burmese invasion. We were able to drop our bags for the day (you can pay a small fee to keep them in the train station) and rent bicycles to tour the city. The city is actually an island, surrounded by 3 rivers and easy to bike with very little hills... except for the crazy Thai drivers! Thais are very bold drivers. There were a few instances where I thought I was done for!! I lived to tell the tale, obviously, but it was a little hairy at times. Whew!!
If you look REALLY closely at the white bike, you can see the bumps that were digging in my butt all day.
Since Ayutthaya was the capital for a solid 450 years it is full of fantastic ruins and history. We spent the afternoon riding around and exploring even though my butt was KILLING me. The bikes are hardly new so the seat had two large screws working through padding. I literally had two small round bruises on my bum the next day!! It was worth the pain but it was uncomfortable.
Wat Chaiwatthanaram
Wat Chaiwatthanaram was our first and favorite stop of the day. It was built in 1630, and was destroyed when the Burmese invaded and looted for Buddahs and bricks the next few centuries. The Thai government restored some of it and it was made a UNESCO site.
Wat Lokayasutharam
We jumped back on the painful bikes and headed to Wat Lokayasutharam to see the reclining Buddha. The size is very impressive but the rest of the ruins were pretty bland. So back on the bikes.
There were packs of stray dogs throughout Thailand but they all kept to themselves and the Thai people seemed to care for them by leaving food and water bowls out.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Our last Wat stop for the day was at Way Phra Si Sanphet. This was a beautiful place where we were able to climb the stairs to see the view from top. After exploring this Wat we decided it was time to return the bikes before the sun set completly. Last ride and thank goodness because my butt just couldn't handle much more.
Inside the small carverns at the top of each staircase were little shrines with offerings from the visitors and locals.
After a few near death experiences with a bus and scooters. We made it back to the bike shop and the closest bar to settle my nerves. The evening was spent strolling through the night market ( a staple in all large Thai villages) for dinner and meeting up with our dear friend Patchaya and her daughter Jasmine who were in Thailand for the summer to see family.
In most Thai markets they serve the food in plastic bags. I was pretty impressed with my skills at eating this curry out of the bag. If you don't feel that you are as talented as me, you can ask for dishes. ;)
