Hello Hiveans! It's now the second part of my Travel Memories in Thailand and I will be sharing to you the historic city of Ayutthaya. In my previous post, it was about my travel experience from Cebu to Bangkok, where we stayed and our first attraction we visited in Thailand, the Ancient Siam.
THE TRAIN EXPERIENCE
After having a quick breakfast, I got excited for our second day in Thailand. This would be my first time to ride a train. In Cebu, we don't have trains as a mode of transportation. We went to the **Bangkok Railway Station** to have a 2-hr train ride to Ayutthaya. After buying tickets (35 TBH for ordinary), we waited for a while since it was still early for the 9:25 AM departure.
I observed Thai's great respect for their king and the royal family. Pictures of their royal highness were displayed in public places. We also kept in mind not to point at their pictures or make fun of them. These actions could land you in jail for disrespecting the king.
It was my first time to see a vending machine selling t-shirts. It's quite convenient especially if you haven't brought some extras for the trip in you get soaked with sweat. They have different colors and sizes too.
T-shirt vending machine
What really caught my attention was a familiar sight of the famous Pasalubong ng Bayan, Dunkin' Donuts! I approached the stall and was curious that my favorite Choco Butternut treat looked different in Thailand. It's color was not as orange as compared to what was sold in the Philippines. So I bought some along with other yummy looking flavors.
[Left] Thailand's version of Choco Butternut and [Right] Choco Butternut I usually eat in the Philippines
When I ate the version of Choco Butternut here, the taste was nutty and not as sweet as the one I usually eat, yet both were similarly chocolatey. I still love its subtle taste and rich nut flavor and texture.
What made my first train experience a funny one was when we were almost left by the train. We were so complacent with the time. It was few minutes before 9:25 AM, we went first to the comfort room to prepare for the long ride. We did not notice that it was already exactly 9:25 AM and the train was leaving! We were in adrenaline rush and ran as fast as we can to run after the train! It was like a scene from the movie Train to Busan where zombies were coming after us. Even if I was afraid we won't be able to reach the train, I was so amused and laughed even if it was so hard to run at the same time. Luckily, the train slowly stopped and we were able to hop in. Maybe it was the monk who stayed at the end of the train that saw us and asked for the train to be stopped. We thanked him for it.
During stops, food vendors hop in to sell meals. I was impressed on how healthy and clean the food they are offering to us. It was properly plated and spoon was already included. You can't really get hungry during the trip.
As we passed by towns, it can be noticed that even if Thailand has succeeded in modernizing their technology and infrastructures, bits of their ancient culture still remained. Preserved old temples and houses can still be seen in every corner.
AYUTTHAYA HISTORICAL PARK
Finally, as the train stopped to Ayutthaya, we dropped off along with other tourists. We were greeted by Tuktuk drivers offering their services to tourists for a day trip. We were a bit dizzy and tried to get away from them. We walked a bit away from the train station and stayed a while at a nearby convenience store and bought some food and water. When it was calmer, we saw a vintage-looking Tuktuk nearby. Tuktuk is a 3-wheeled vehicle common in Thailand. It is similar to tricycles in the Philippines. We negotiated with the driver for our Ayutthaya trip and hopped on.
Ayutthaya Historical Park is listed by UNESCO as one of the World's Heritage Sites. I was so amazed that I was able to step the grounds of this historically important and beautiful place.
Since Ayutthaya Historical Park is a bit vast and we only have half a day to roam around, we chose archaeological sights and temples that were near to each other to save time.
WAT MAHATHAT
Our first destination was Wat Mahathat, located at the center of the historical park. This is where the famous Buddha's head wrapped with Bodhi tree roots can be found. Wat Mahathat means the Temple of the Great Relic.
It was somehow difficult to take the perfect angle and stay long in the area. There are a lot of tourists too wanting to take pictures with the Buddha.
As we roamed in the ruins of Wat Mahathat, we enjoyed and wondered how it looked before. The temple seemed so grand and vast. The intricate designs were still visible even if the temple was already damaged.
WAT PHRA MONGKHON BOPHIT
Among the temples we visited in Ayutthaya, Wat Phra Mongkhon Bophit is the only one that is intact. Phra Mongkhon Bophit means Buddha of the Holy and Supremely Auspicious Reverence. When you see the place, you would not expect that it was severely damaged and restored twice.
Phra Mongkhon Bophit Buddha image has a height of 12.45 meters without the base, which makes it one of the tallest Buddha images in Thailand. This was sculpted around 1448-1602 AD. This image was damaged twice: First, its head caused by lightning in 1706 and during the fall of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1767, its head and right arm were broken caused by fire.
Phra Mongkhon Bophit had witnessed tragedies and survived them. Its perfectly restored image did not even give a hint of those damages it experienced.
WAT PHRA SI SANPHETH
Wat Phra Si Sanpeth was a private temple situated in the Royal Palace during the reign of the Ayutthaya kingdom. The main features are the 3 stupas containing the ashes of 3 kings: King Boroma-Tri-Loka-Nat, King Boroma-Rachathirat III and King Ramatthibodi II.
WAT YAI CHAI MONGKOL
The last of the temples we visited in Ayutthaya was the Wat Yai Chai Mongkol. This active monastery was away from the center of the historical site where we needed to cross a river.
What I like about this place is its tall structure called the main chedi. I haven't counted the steps but I admit I was sweating a lot when I reached the top.
From the top we could see the Buddha images below, which luckily were still intact amidst the temple's rich history.
Inside the chedi, there was a deep wishing well. It has a wooden cover for safety purposes. When I looked down I was expecting there would be water, just like some wishing wells. But it was dry shining with coins of different colors.
In different areas of Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, there were giant Buddha images. There was a reclining one found at the back with its own pavillion.
There were also giant Buddha images found at the front and sides that seemed to be protecting the chedi.
Time just ran so fast. Though we were not able to visit all of the temples in Ayutthaya, I still enjoyed and felt how Thai people gave importance to Buddhism, which can be reflected on how the ancient temples were preserved over time. That marks the end of our temple exploration in Ayutthaya. Stay tuned for the next part of my Thailand trip - Floating Market and Bangkok City tours!
Love Lots,
Location: [//]:# (!pinmapple 14.353463 lat 100.556408 long d3scr)