Today we were off to explore Ayutthaya which is the capital of the ancient city of Siam. Ayutthaya is a city whose history seems to have been largely forgotten by the rest of the world. But it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and I had wanted to see it after reading about it when we visited Angkor Wat last year.
Siam was what Thailand was known as before it became Thailand and Ayutthaya was at that time the largest city in the world. It was a major trading hub between the East and West. It was the capital from the 14th to 18th centuries until it was bombed and destroyed by the Burmese in 1767 most of the city and treasurers were destroyed and only some of the old ruins are left standing.
We had booked a day trip with Takemetours who who hook you up with a local guide. Our local guide was Jumpol who asked us just to refer to him as J. We jumped in his car and we’re off to explore the old city. Well not straight away it was about a 2 hour drive out there with J showing us sights on the way and explaining different history.
It was a very pleasant drive. J first took us to a spot of the river to explain how Ayutthaya is surrounded by the rivers. The spot where we were is where 2 of the rivers join up the Chao Phraya River and the Pa Sak river. We got to see a few of the local birds and 2 different barge boats one that was carrying sand. Before we left J surprised us with some Thai desserts for breakfast. We tried sticky rice with banana and taro. They were delicious.
Next stop was Wat Phanan Choeng. Wat Phanan Choeng was built in 1324 and was build before Ayutthaya was even founded. We took off our shoes placed them in a locker and then went inside to explore. This is home to the huge gilded Buddha. This Buddha is 19m high and the detailing is beautiful. So much gold everywhere.
We then went to Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon. This temple is situated on the banks of the Pa Sak River, this historical temple was originally erected by King U Thong in 1357 to serve as the royal cremation site. It has been redone and remodeled over the years however most of it was burnt and abandoned after the fall of Ayutthaya. We saw so many turtles being fed in the river as we came in. I loved this temple it’s so big and beautiful. J was telling us back in the day it was all gold and jewelled which would have been crazy to see.
We saw the boundary stones which J explained marked the boundaries of the most important temple in the complex. If there are 2 thick boundry stones that normally symbolises royalty. We also looked at the reclining Buddha which was nice. This temple is still attached to a working monastery to this day.
On the way out we saw some more turtles and J told us to stay there! Next second we see him run back with coconuts he bought in the car with us and machete. He excitingly yelled “coconut party” and proceeded to machete them open and present them to us. The experience was cool and the coconuts were delicious.
We moved on to another big ruined temple area called Wat Mahathat it is also called the Temple of the great relic. It was one of the most significant temples in the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It was also the centre of buddahism in the ancient city. This temple complex was sacked and set on fire with nearly all of its treasures being stolen. It was awesome to walk around in here. It is also the home of the famous buddha head stuck in a tree.
J gave us the choice for lunch and we ended up choosing the river side resturant. It was great and such a nice relaxing spot just watching life go by on the river.
Our last stop for the day was the Old Royal Palace. The palace was built in the 14th century and served as the residence of Thai kings for many years. It was destroyed during the war so most of it is ruins except for the 3 towers in the centre. The three towers in Athe grand palace were built after a king died. They were often constructed to hold the king’s ashes or relics and to honor his memory. Building a tower was a way to show respect and also to make religious merit for the king.
I will interrupt this blog to say I am really dissapointed the Thailand still exploits elephants for tourism. I am also very dissapointed that tourists are paying to ride these elephants. We know so much better as a world now and this should not be still happening. There are so many more ethical ways to see these beautiful creatures.
Besides seeing the elephant riding. This is a beautiful area to explore and learn about. J was a absolute gem in looking after us and taking us around. We will definetly hire him again next time we are in Bangkok. He drove us back to the hotel and we spent the afternoon eating some street food and getting ready to leave Thailand tomorrow.
Merry Christmas to everyone.