Ayutthaya
In 1999 I visited Ayutthaya, the old capital of Thailand.
Ayutthaya is one of Thailand’s highlights – an ancient city of temples and palaces. The city was built in 1350 and for hundreds of years was regarded as one of the great cities of Asia. After many attacks, Ayutthaya was partially destroyed by the Burmese in 1767. Although the city was abandoned and much of its glory destroyed, many of the temples that remain are still captivating. It was granted a UNESCO world heritage listing in 1991.
The train ride from Bangkok to Ayutthaya takes an hour and a half. There is also the option of taking a bus or there are tour companies that run boat trips along the river to Ayutthaya. Once there, the sites are scattered around and unless you’re on a tour, it’s advisable to hire a tuk-tuk to take you around.
The first site I visited was Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, one of the city’s oldest temples.
Our next stop was Wat Phra Chao Phanan-choeng. Here you can see a gigantic nineteen meter tall golden Buddha. Also present were a troop of dancers performing a traditional Thai dance. Then it was on to Wat Lokaya Sutha where there’s a reclining Buddha that’s almost thirty metres long.
My favourite part of Ayutthaya was Wat Chaiwatthanaram. This monastery was built by the banks of the Chao Phraya River and instead of the traditional chedis, it has Khmer style prangs (curved towers). The giant prang at the monastery’s center is surrounded by four lesser prangs and a further smaller eight surround them. I wandered around the complex soaking in the atmosphere and admiring the remains of the many hundreds of statues that line the walls.
For a change of pace, we stopped at Ayutthaya’s elephant kraal and I clambered aboard one of the mighty beasts for a stroll down the highway. Fortunately elephants get priority on the road and passing drivers didn’t seem upset about having to slow down or wait for the elephant to lumber across the road. I was sitting on a little cushioned platform, while the elephant’s handler sat on the elephant’s neck. At one point during the ride, the handler dismounted so that he could take a photo of me. I hadn’t asked him to but he thought this would be a good idea. He motioned for me to slide forward onto the elephant’s neck. When the elephant started to plod away with only me on it, I wasn’t sure how clever an idea this was. I could feel the tremendous strength of the elephant’s muscles beneath me as it wandered down the road. The handler didn’t seem at all concerned and was lining up a photo while I was trying to wipe the look of fear from my face.
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