Discovering the Ruins of Ayutthaya

I'm so sorry that I am interrupting the flow of my Indochina travelogue but I just realized that forgot to immortalize my Ayutthaya side trip on this blog. Haha. 

Anyway, after the exhausting first day that was dedicated to a walking tour of Bangkok, I opted to do a side trip in Ayutthaya. Based from my research, it used to be the capital of Ancient Thailand and that its ruins are pretty interesting. In order to save time and effort, I utilized the service of a travel agency. Oh yes, I booked a tour for THB600, which includes lunch.

Left Rambuttri at about 6AM and arrived at Ayutthaya at 8:15AM. Traffic was bad but we got there in time because our driver felt the need for speed. Hrhr. Our first stop was Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, which is a Buddhist temple with Khmer influences.

The ruins and buddhas of Wat Yai Chai Mongkol

Buddha garden over the remains of the vihara

Pics or it didn't happen :))

Next stop is the ruins of Wat Mahathat. According to our tour guide, this is one of the grandest temples in Ayutthaya that may be likened to Angkor Wat. However, he admitted that Wat Mahathat isn't as grand as Angkor Wat.

This is also where the famous Buddha head is located. This temple was burned by the Burmese and as you can see in some photos that most of the Buddha images are decapitated. According to our guide it was done by the enemies to enrage the Thai. 

The Sandstone Buddha

Oh, that's me. Hrhr.

After that we had lunch at a restaurant near Wat Lokkayasutharam, wherein the main attraction is the reclining Buddha in a deep slumber.

Sleeping Buddha

Next on the list is my personal favorite, Wat Phukhao Thong. It was built in commemoration of the victory of Thailand over Burma, which was led by King Naresuan. Too bad I do not have a photo of the Monument of King Naresuan, which stands north of this temple. An interesting fact is that the tip of the chedi is made from 24k gold.

The only temple that has a Thai style chedi

Last stop is the Wat Phra Si Sanphet, which is considered as the holiest temple on the site of the old Royal Palace, until the entire complex was burned by the Burmese. I actually loved walking around this place because it was serene, albeit the feeling of the scorching heat of the sun.

If you'll go souvenir shopping, the shopping center at the front of this temple is where you'll get best prices. Food here is also great. I bought three packs of fish skin crackers for only 100 THB, which included a sweet and spicy sauce that I found delectable despite the spiciness.

The tour ended on a good note and by 4:00PM, our tour group was back in Bangkok. Shoot, I forgot the name of our driver. He is friendly and a jolly character. I discovered from him that there are also floating markets in Ayutthaya and other attractions near Bangkok, such as Erawan Falls, that are worth visiting. Brother man, you're the best!

After this tour I refreshed for a while and did a walking tour of Rambuttri Road and Khao San Road and capped off the night with a delicious meal called "Volcanic Chicken", which I failed to take pictures of because I am that famished. :P