Sono nel mio bel lettino, sul treno notturno che ci porterà a Chang Mai. Le ferrovie reali, con questo convoglio perfetto (pulito, ordinato, silenzioso), ci stanno accompagnando a Nord. E è proprio così, sui binari, che è iniziata e finita questa tappa nell’antichissima Ayutthaya. È stato breve ma intenso. All’arrivo, dopo un rocambolesco atterraggio (con mega zaino) da un metro di altezza dei gradini del treno alle traversine della ferrovia senza banchina, si capisce di essere in un posto un po’ speciale. L’antica capitale del Siam ha il centro storico su un'isola alla confluenza di 3 fiumi. Il battellino che fa sponda-sponda, ore 10-18, ogni giorno e per tutto il giorno è condotto da un’anziana signora che non molla mai. Si sale “al volo”, si viaggia piano. Il fiume la sera si fa improvvisamente rosa e la mattina è trafficatissimo: questo ci ha fatto capire la nostra pacifica osservazione dalla terrazza della bellissima e antica guesthouse. Abbiamo esplorato, anche, nonostante il caldo pazzesco, vari siti dell’antica città: in bici, siamo passati da #WatMahatat, #WatPhraSisanfet. Abbiamo pedalato a lungo sotto il sole cocente che non dava tregua, senza stancarci nè delle innumerevoli rovine di templi e zone rituali nè degli infiniti #Buddha decapitati di cui solo una testa si è salvata, inglobata dalle radici di una pianta mangiona. Fra un varano piccoletto e i pachidermi dell’#ElephantPalace, vicino al #RoyalKraal, siamo stati circondati anche dai tanti elefantini dei pantaloni dei turisti che - anche qui - proprio non riescono a vestirsi come le persone normali. Abbiamo ricaricato le pile del cuore con la visita e l’aria che sapeva di divino del #WihanPhraMongkhonBophit, oggi. Mi addormenterò a breve, qui nella mia cuccetta; e voglio farlo riguardando ad occhi chiusi quel Buddha dorato, il primo che mi abbia fatto davvero emozionare e che - come i suoi tanti fedeli - ho deciso di fotografare. Tutto, per intero. #giudittapills #ayutthaya #thailand #travel #photography #photography #photooftheday #temple #travelphotography #instagood #train #station #travelblogger (presso วัดพระศรีสรรเพชญ์) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl_pOVHv_mG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
After our first day in Chatuchak Market and Siam Paragon, it was time for some cultural tour!
On our second day in BKK, we went to Ayutthaya for a day tour. A friend recommended a driver with van whom we contacted for the day tour, we paid him 3000 Baht for 8 hours (If you have better deals please drop a comment as I may visit again with other relatives/friends). We met with the driver at around 8AM and arrived in Ayutthaya in an hour or so. The weather was great until we finished the tour!
First Stop: Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon (20 Baht entrance fee)
"Wat yai chai mongkhon is a Buddhist temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand.The monastery was constructed by King U-Thong to accommodate the monks that were ordained by Phra Wanratana Mahathera Burean. This monastery was named "Wat Pakaew" "-Wikipedia
What I remember most in this temple is the reclining Buddha, the beautiful Buddha gallery and the way people paste gold paper in the Buddha statue (we also did for 20 Baht) as a way of making merit or making a wish. This place was nice to take pictures of.
2nd Stop: Wat Phanan Choeng Worawihan
"Built in 1324, some 26 years before the city of Ayutthaya was officially founded, the temple must have been partly connected to early settlements in the area. These notably allegedly included a 200-strong refugee community from Song Dynasty China. The large wihan, the highest building within the temple complex, houses an immense gilded 19 meter high seated Buddha from 1334 CE. This highly revered Buddha statue is called Luang Pho Tho (Thai: หลวงพ่อโต) by Thais, andSam Pao Kong (Thai: ซำเปากง) by Thai-Chinese. The statue is regarded as a guardian for mariners. Allegedly, prior to the destruction of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767 CE, "tears flowed from the sacred eyes to the sacred navel". The statue has been restored several times in history. King Mongkut named the statue Phra Puttha Thrai Ratana Nayok after its restoration in 1854 CE."-Wikipedia
Indeed most notable here is the large golden Buddha. So big!
3rd Stop: Wat Maha That (50 Baht entrance fee)
"Wat Mahathat Yuwarajarangsarit Rajaworamahavihara is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand. It is one of the 10 royal temples of the highest class in Bangkok." - Wikipedia
The highlight of this temple is the Buddha head surrounded by a tree. So cool! While taking pictures with the Buddha head, we were told by our driver to make sure our head is not higher than the Buddha head to show respect.
4th Stop: Lunch at local hostel
After visiting Wat Maha That, the driver gave us some free Thai Milk Teas and we stopped for lunch at a local hostel just because it has aircon, the foods there were local Thai dishes with very simple presentation but tasted fine.
ahh..I feel hungry just by seeing these foods..
5th Stop: Thanon Si Sanphet
6th Stop: Elephant Palace
We did not try the elephant ride anymore because it costs 400 Baht/person for 20 minutes, we just took picture with the 7 year old elephant for 40 Baht each and fed it for 50 Baht per basket. We had a great experience here although some of us were very scared of the elephants haha!
7th Stop (Last Stop) : Ayothaya Floating Market
I added this to our day tour because we didn't have enough time to go to the "real" floating markets. We did not ride the boat anymore as the place was not really big and there were not much people when we went there. We just walked around the shops and restaurants in the area. Mom was able to buy some frozen oyster mushrooms which could be eaten directly from the pack in one of the food stalls there.
We finished the tour at around 4PM and went to Platinum Mall after. On our way back from Ayutthaya the driver bought us some of these sweet dessert below which he said is a must buy when you go to Ayutthaya. It tasted just like cotton candy wrapped in lumpia wrapper.
Upon arriving at Platinum Mall, we found some food stalls selling vegetarian foods again so we bought some foods there before shopping.
This is what the food stalls looked like.
We bought some strawberry yogurt shake, it tasted like the strawberry taho in Baguio.
Mom bought the yummy tomyum biscuit in this stall!
Platinum Mall closes at 7PM so we went to Siam Center after (Siam Center is just beside Siam Paragon), there we saw many local designer brands with steep prices so we weren't really able to buy anything there. They do have some cool chairs for you to sit on and very nice comfort room to have selfies on hehe.
