Thailand - Bangkok, Krabi, Ayutthaya, & Lopburi
We had decided to go to Thailand about mid-way through our visit to Egypt. We were considering a roadtrip within Morocco too but ultimately decided against it. We had had enough of Northern Africa for now and I had found flights to Bangkok for only $436, about $200 cheaper than flying to Morocco. We'd fly Qatar Airways and have a layover in Doha.
We flew from Luxor to Cairo and used our Priority Pass at a nice lounge while we waited for the first leg of our international flight. Thankfully, it was quite calm inside.
Our first plane departed Cairo at 7:30PM. We had a great on-board meal and arrived in Doha 3 hours later. We headed for another lounge and admired the architecture along the way. No expense seemed to be spared as high-quality materials and craftsmanship dazzled in the night.
There was a huge line at the lounge but eventually we made it in -- only to find a single chair available. 🙃 Vitali stood.
At 2:20am the final leg to Bangkok departed. We popped a dramamine each -- we had discovered it is a fantastic sleep aid for plane travel. We drifted off to sleep and were later awakened for breakfast -- another excellent gluten-free meal. After 7 hours in the air we touched down at Suvarnabhumi International at 1:00pm local time.
We were impressed by this airport too! The immediate impression of the geometry was that of the stupa (chedi in Thailand), a Buddhist architectural form I had studied in architectural history. The roof also had tensile fabric structures like at home in Denver. In between the terminals were beautiful gardens, conveying calm and order. Floors were gleaming and all of the accoutrements of airport were perfectly placed.
Customs was relatively easy -- we just had to show our Thailand Pass (applied for a few days before), and proof of insurance. We ordered a Grab (Uber divested itself from Grab four years ago) to our airbnb in the Silom neighborhood of Bangkok.
We passed by the biggest billboards we had ever seen -- and through what appeared to be a sprawling metropolis -- shiny glass towers abound. The traffic was positively sedate compared to Cairo.
Day 1 - May 6th, 2022 - Bangkok
We found the entrance to our building (The Oasis Silom, $25/night) and checked-in, following the older Thai gentleman up the stairs. He removed his shoes before opening the door to our place and letting us in.
The studio was cute! It had some really nice original geometric artwork.
We dropped our bags and headed for a grocery store a few blocks away. We hesitantly stepped out on to the street, wondering at the experience that awaited us.
At the start of the trip I had in my mind the romantic vision of backpacking. Going from place to place as the wind took you. We had never experienced anything close to that before and we both agreed it was a goal for this trip. However -- I am (at times) an obsessive planner -- having things planned, researched, and ready, ensures that discomfort is kept to a minimum -- as well as to travel's detriment -- so is spontaneity and serendipity.
So it has been an exercise in expanding our comfort zone. As we've travelled more and more I am doing less and less research -- and am learning to enjoy the surprise of visiting a place and knowing nothing about it. So we didn't read much about Bangkok or Thailand before arriving, besides a few tips on etiquette and how to say hello and thank you. Would Bangkok be like how it was characterized in The Hangover II -- gritty and wholly, alive?
What was saw was decidedly unlike The Hangover. Our neighborhood seemed quite polished. The streets were unbelievably clean, traffic was heavy but orderly, no one was shouting. There were lots of people walking around in cute clothes, stopping at the numerous street stalls for food on sticks. The smell of food was everywhere and incredible. Perhaps most striking of all -- everyone looked more or less, like me.
Growing up looking different than all my white peers around me -- I was acutely aware of that difference, of being other. On top of that -- I'm only half Chinese. I'm too white to be considered an Asian or Asian American and too Asian to be considered white. After feeling increasingly ill at ease in my home country -- my first trip to an Asian country was a wonderful affirmation that there are billions of other people just like me.
We also noticed that EVERYONE was wearing a mask. Inside, outside, it didn't matter. Mask compliance was 100% and every time we entered an enclosed space -- we had to take our temperature and use some hand sanitizer.
We eventually made it to the grocery store, tucked in a soi (alley) between strip clubs and restaurants. There was a good variety of dry, fresh, and frozen, and everything was so neatly stacked and arranged. We had a microwave but no hot plate so we were limited on what we could cook but found some items -- including some coconut ice cream and coconut yogurt
The ice cream ended up being incredible. It had big chunks of coconut meat, a robust coconut flavor, and a delightfully light texture. The yogurt was incredible too! It had chunks of nata de coco.
Day 2 - May 7th, 2022 - Bangkok
We walked over to the MBK Center, a massive 4 story shopping mall with international brands, local brands, and hyper-local vendors.
Along the way we passed gleaming skyscrapers, futuristic and historic architecture, mass transit systems, and sidewalks dotted with shops, street vendors, and scooters. It was hot, lush, and green, and humid as hell. It appeared by all rights a beautiful and modern city. Not at all like how The Hangover portrayed it.
We wandered around the mall in search of replica watches for Vitali and a carbon fiber tripod for me. My old one had broken and shipping a new one from the US was expensive. I also needed sunglasses.
We found everything except for sunglasses, which continue to elude me.
We headed in the direction of home, stopping at a restaurant called Lon Lon Diner to order our first taste of Thai food. We ordered a gluten-free pork stir fry that was quite tasty.
Vitali went for a run in Lumphini Park, a giant green space next to Silom. There were a lot of cats!
Later that evening the microwave, our only means of preparing food besides the hot water kettle, blew a fuse! We subsisted on instant miso soup and boiled eggs after that.
Day 3 - May 8th, 2022 - Bangkok
We headed to the subway station to go to the Chatuchak weekend market. Fortunately, the subway was very easy to navigate, paying by credit card and receiving a plastic coin. We rode 30 minutes and re-emerged north of Bangkok, only a few minutes walk to the world's largest weekend market, with over 11,000 vendors. The huge area was divided roughly into categories -- clothing, silks, ceramics, wood, toys, etc.
It was a feast for the eyes -- booths overflowing with all sorts of goods, some dressed up quite nicely with decor and carefully styled racks. We were looking for souvenirs -- and found some nice wood pieces and a handmade shirt that was super unique. I desperately wanted to photograph everything but didn't want to offend anyone, so I only snuck in a single photo...
We finished our wanderings, grabbed a fanta from a streetside vendor (20THB) and then headed for the BTS SkyTrain. This proved to be a little more difficult than the subway to navigate but we figured it out.
The loading areas at the track had markings on the floors indicating where to queue to board and sure enough, a perfectly orderly line formed as the train approached. The train, like the subway, was fancy and new.
We decided to stop by Pizza Massilia, which had a good review on find me gluten free. But first -- we stopped by a pharmacy to see if they sold lactaid -- as I had forgot mine at home. I showed a google translate for 'lactase'. The pharmacist brought out a box which I looked at doubtfully. It said 'lactulose', but everything else was in Thai. He nodded that yes this was for lactose intolerance so I bought it.
Once we sat down in the restaurant I googled exactly what it was and it turned out to be a laxative that apparently, if you are lactose intolerance, will cause severe diarrhea -- not what I wanted!
So we decided to just take a Grab back after we ate so I could eat a lactaid in time. I ordered a gluten-free margerita pizza which ended up being the most incredible gluten free pizza I have ever eaten. It even had the chew of gluten containing flour. We ended up going to this pizza place 6 or 7 times over the course of our Thailand adventures.
After we got back Vitali headed back to the mall to pick up another replica watch.
Day 4 - May 9th, 2022 - Bangkok
We woke up late today so we decided to just chill for the day as we also had to get our rabies, Japanese encephalitis, and typhoid vaccines that afternoon. We chilled at the rooftop pool of our building and then took the skytrain to the travel clinic.
Getting the consult was super easy -- a doctor and two medical students spoke with us and advised us what they recommended based on our itinerary and then we paid for the shots and had them administered. We paid $120USD for the equivalent of $1600 worth of vaccines (had we bought them in Denver). What a deal! So what we had heard about famously inexpensive healthcare was true.
We got back on the BTS and decided to drop by the big shopping area to look for sunglasses. We visited three different malls and found ONE pair that I liked. But it was scratched up and the last stock, so I didn't buy them. I found the same pair at another mall, but that pair was scratched up too.
The mall game was nuts. Lots of expensive architectural details, huge displays and tons of unique lighting.
Day 5 - May 10th, 2022 - Bangkok
We stayed home today to recover after the shots. I spent the morning booking huts and hotels for the Walker's Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt. As the day progressed I noticed that my right tendon had started to feel stiff and swell slightly. This was very strange -- since my tendon had healed after the repair surgery 12 years ago, I had experienced no stiffness or pain beyond occasional soreness after heavy usage, which would always resolve in a few hours. Starting in Egypt though, I had noticed some stiffness after sitting for an extended period but after a few steps my tendon would loosen up and return to normal.
I elevated my leg and iced it the rest of the day. By the end of the day my tendon was very stiff and I was starting to limp. I was beginning to get seriously worried about what it was doing -- did I accidentally injure it?
But we hadn't done anything unusual, no jumping or running around; I had heard no gunshot pop like when I ruptured it 12 years ago. We had actually been de-loading activity after the intensity of hiking around Patagonia.
What was happening? Was this an acute reaction to the three vaccination shots? The irony was not lost that the swelling and stiffness had appeared right as I had finished booking accommodations for a hut to hut trek.
Day 6 - May 11th, 2022 - Bangkok
Growing alarm -- I woke up to a heel so swollen and painful I was unable to bear weight through the full stride on my right leg and plantarflex beyond 90 degrees. I called a local hospital that was recommended online who luckily were able to see me that evening, around 5pm during the walk-in period. I kept my leg elevated and iced it and then took a Grab to the doctor.
The whole experience at the hospital was that of a five star resort -- extremely nice finishes, high quality of service, quiet, clean. We waited about an hour and a half to be seen. I talked with the doctor who evaluated me and said I likely have achilles tendonitis -- excessive usage or a mechanical issue could have caused it. He prescribed me a walking boot so I could ambulate, a night splint to sleep in, a prescription for an arthritic pain reliever, and also ordered an MRI for the next morning. He asked where we would be in a week -- I told him we had a flight to Krabi tomorrow for four days but no plans after that. He wanted to see me for a follow up and to discuss whatever they found on the MRI in a week.
So I scheduled a follow up for 7 days later and we'd just have to come back to Bangkok. I had read that the public hospitals were extremely inexpensive so I had hoped that a private hospital (which turned out to the be the number 1 hospital in Thailand and in the top 150 worldwide) would be not outrageously expensive either. I was wrong -- we left the hospital $800 lighter. We had travel insurance so it should be covered, but we will see.
We headed to Pizza Massilia because we were hungry and upset. I was upset. I had no idea why this was happening now. If this was from overusage, why didn't it happen when we were walking 80 miles in a week? If it was a mechanical issue, why did it take 12 years to show up?
Back at our airbnb I started having flashbacks to right after the repair surgery. It was an extremely upsetting time -- I had totally lost my ability to walk without an aid and had felt injured, sickly, and disabled. It was such a long recovery -- three years -- that the thought surfaced in the dark of my mind -- what if something was really wrong, something so severe that it could end our trip?
I was also bummed that we had planned to hike in Krabi and now that was clearly not happening.
Day 7 - May 12th, 2022 - Bangkok to Krabi ✈️
We headed back over to the hospital in the morning to get the MRI. Fortunately it was fast -- and unfortunately, expensive -- we left the hospital another $700 lighter.
We took a Grab over to Bangkok Self Storage, where we had decided to rent a locker for the month to stash our souvenirs from Egypt so we didn't have to lug them around. It only cost 800THB for the month ($24USD).
We headed to the airport after that. I had to show my 'fit to fly' medical certificate and sign a waiver that I refused a wheelchair.
We headed to another lounge which was beautifully decorated in an english country garden theme. The buffet was AWESOME.
We had planned to visit Krabi first in our itinerary as May was on the edge of the monsoon season and we wanted to have the least amount of rain possible. The one hour flight to the small town on the Andaman Sea was uneventful, although we did pass by some terrific thunderheads.
We landed and then found a mini van that would drop us off at our hotel. There was no Grab so we felt lucky to catch what looked like the last shuttle of the day -- for 300THB.
It took us awhile to go through Krabi Town and then out to the coast as we dropped off several groups. Eventually we arrived and found our hotel. The ladies at the front saw my boot and apologized profusely that we had to stay in a room further back in the property -- but they did not accept no for an answer when they offered to move us closer the next day. This lovely room only cost $19 USD/night.
We started to get serious about leaving our shoes outside at this point. Even so, I could not walk without the boot and had to wear it inside for the first two days. I inspected my heel in the evening, which was still quite swollen, but perhaps a little less so. Pain still made it impossible to walk. The splint seemed to help it feel better in the morning.
Vitali headed out to 7-eleven to find us provisions. We would come to learn that 7-eleven was the place to get food for feeding yourself with only a fridge in Thailand.
Day 8 - May 13th, 2022 - Krabi
At least a wonderful breakfast awaited us -- brought right to our room. We didn't know it at the time but the standard Thai "American Breakfast" always includes very lightly cooked eggs, a hot dog like sausage, a small salad, fresh fruit, and slices of ham. It was delicious.
I was determined to not let my fitness waste while I was injured so we walked down to Hat Noppharat Thara Beach. There were a lot of shops and restaurants along the water, a nice walking path, but hardly any sand. We headed over to the next beach, Ao Nang, too, which had a wider beach but looked largely the same.
Walking was still painful, even in the boot. I couldn't roll through the stride all the way as pressing down with my toes caused pain. So I adopted a short waddle.
Vitali pretended to catch the biggest fish of his life.
We headed back to the hotel as I needed to rest. We switched rooms, booked a kayak tour for the next day (about $40USD), and then Vitali walked to a restaurant on find me gluten free to get some dinner. We ordered green curry, and two dishes I don't quite remember, but there's a picture of them down there. All were spicy and excellent.
Day 9 - May 14th, 2022 - Krabi
Today when I woke up the swelling and pain had decreased some. I hoped the pills were working.
We were gathered by a songthaew (a truck with the bed converted to covered benches), picked up another couple, and then were driven about 45 minutes to Ao Thalane. The landscape was beautiful -- towering and colorful karst formations dotted the landscape.
We eventually arrived at the pier where several tour companies appeared to be operating out of. We were given tea and coffee and sat down to wait while the other companies launched. In the little dining area we found a family of adorable kittens!!!
So precious. Eventually our turn was to enter the water with our guide. The other couple had zero kayaking experience, so it took a few minutes to get everyone situated and ready to go.
We headed out across the mouth of a river, while the guide described to us where we would go today -- through the mangrove forest, then through a canyon, to a tiny beach, and then across open water back to the pier.
He also explained how this trip in to the mangroves could only be taken at high tide. We entered the forest and were amazed.
Incredible mangrove trees dappled the sunlight hitting the water, with a backdrop of stained limestone cliffs. We felt so fortunate for good weather! The forecast had shown chance of rain for our entire visit so we weren't certain what to expect.
We paddled around and my spirits lifted -- at least I could get myself here to see this. The other couple struggled with navigating mightily which resulted in a few laughs.
It was so nice kayaking in a small group. Our guide took the opportunity to complain at length about how he has to wrangle big groups, tourists who don't know how to kayak, or only want to take photos, or don't want to take any photos at all; how the tour agency will book the tour even during the low tide and not tell customers that the mangrove was not accessible during their tour. He told us how covid had decreased the amount of people drastically -- he had to go back home to work on a farm. Now he was back though and he seemed delighted to have someone listen to his complaints.
The canyon was beautiful and peaceful. We had passed two other larger groups headed the opposite direction but that was it.
We paddled to a hidden beach after that where I had absolutely zero ability to walk on the sand.
We raced across the river back to the pier and were fed some fresh pineapple and watermelon before being shuttled back to our hotel. We got to know the other couple a lit bit -- they lived in Singapore.
We arrived back home and decided to walk over to 7-eleven to pick up some snacks. I found some durian popsicles which looked good. We'd never had durian before.
We settled on the description of durian being like a cross between a mango and a potato. There was an earthiness to it that recalled mushrooms, a texture similar to potato, and a sweetness like pineapple or mango. It was overall very strange and we didn't love it. We would also encounter actual durian on the sidewalks at various times. Identifying the smell went on to become a game -- is it a trashcan or is it durian?
We booked another a boat tour (about $70USD) for the next day. I figured I could wear my boot in the water if I had to get on or off the boat directly into the ocean.
Day 10 - May 15th, 2022 - Krabi
Today I woke up and the swelling of my heel had decreased quite a bit, although the stiffness and pain continued to prevent me from walking normally. I was able to walk around for short distances without the boot though (like 30 feet).
We had breakfast then were picked up at 9am, stuffed into an absolutely packed songthaew, and taken to Ao Nang Beach, where we had to sign a paper before being directed to our group for the specific tour. I also popped a dramamine since getting sea-sick seems to be standard for me now.
We then got on another songthaew, and drove 15 minutes to the pier where the tours leave. There were a ton of longtail boats, and speedboats of various sizes lined up in the area.
We loaded into the boat and headed off. We sat in the back (safest place for motion sickness) and admired the view. The karst formations continued into the sea -- popping up here and there.
The tour today would take us to several islands: Bamboo Island, Phi Phi Leh (set of The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio), a lagoon, a monkey cave, and Phi Phi Don. Lunch was included too.
Our first stop was Bamboo Island -- to avoid rain on Phi Phi Leh. Stunning beaches, even with the throngs of boats and tourists. We walked from one side of the beach to the other and back before we had to leave.
Then we headed to what everyone was waiting for -- Phi Phi Leh and Maya Bay. There were many tour options for island hopping but we decided to see this one since overall reviews were that the famous beach was worth visiting, even with the large crowds.
After The Beach debuted in 2000 visitation skyrocketed -- at times up to 5,000 visitors were on the beach -- which had no infrastructure or facilities. A huge amount of damage was caused to the reef -- with officials estimating 80% destruction. The beach was closed in June of 2018 for four months for the ecosystem to rest -- and not reopened until January of 2022 as the damage took much longer than expected to recover. Now, only 4,000 visitors are allowed per day; the boats must park on the opposite side of the island and visitors must walk on an elevated boardwalk across the island to see the beach; and no swimming is allowed in the bay.
We docked on a floating pier which was difficult to walk on and then walked across to the bay, which was jam packed with people. Lots of devoted spouses and partners being their other half's photographer. Mostly Thais.
I met an Israeli who also had a boot.
The dramatic sheer cliffs surrounding the lagoon recalled a lake we visited in Canada -- but the color of the water was peerless.
We headed back and were boated off to a place called The Room -- because the cliffs are so high and close it feels like you are totally enclosed. We sat in the breezeless, sweltering boat as a few people took the opportunity to swim.
After 30 minutes or so we headed over to look at a cave that sometimes had monkeys -- and saw a few clinging to the stalactites.
We boated another 30 minutes and docked in Phi Phi Don, which had a small village. Getting out of the boat required some maneuvering. We were walked in to town to a huge buffet restaurant that seemed to be sized to feed a small army -- and feeding an army it sure was -- there were probably 300 people inside all noshing from the buffet, hundreds of shoes piled up outside the front door. I just had rice but Vitali said the other food was good. So far -- all the food we'd eaten had been very tasty.
On the way back the boat stopped for some snorkeling. I was starting to get tired at this point -- both from the dramamine (which seemed to be doing its job) and fatigue from the heat and dehydration. Finally we picked up and headed back to the mainland -- another hour and half, and were finally back on terra firma. We got back in the songthaew and were fortunately the first group dropped off in town.
Vitali went and picked us up some more food which was soooo good.
A huge rainstorm rolled through that evening too.
Day 11 - May 16th, 2022 - Krabi
Today we didn't have anything planned besides going to see the Monkey Trail -- which we had saved for the last day to see how much I'd recover. The swelling was minimal today and I was starting to be able to roll through my stride in the boot without too much pain. So we decided to walk over to the end of Ao Nang Beach, to the start of the trail that would take us to the next beach over, Pai Plong, and in to a National Park.
We got to the end of the beach and started looking for the trail -- before long we spied it, some raised boardwalk half-hidden by jungle foliage.
The trail went up and over a narrow bluff -- my boot maneuvering had improved enough to navigate it. There were no monkeys though!
We passed a profusely sweating couple (so were we) who had been turned away by the park ranger because they didn't have their vaccination cards. Luckily we had ours. We passed a doggo who was guarding the trail and then had to take our temperature and sign in to the national park ranger's book.
The beach was beautiful, like all the others.
We headed back to our hotel and prepared for our journey back to Bangkok. Overall we had good weather -- a few showers here and there every day but mostly sun.
Day 12 - May 17th, 2022 - Krabi to Bangkok ✈️
We took the 300THB shuttle back to the airport in the morning and had an uneventful flight back. After landing we took a Grab to a different neighborhood, Ruam Rudee, to a hotel ($29 USD/night) with kitchenette (microwave and fridge). We picked this neighborhood simply because it was near Pizza Massilia. Vitali went and picked us up two pizzas for dinner. I ordered sausage and mushrooms on mine this time. There were three types of mushrooms!!!
Day 13 - May 18th, 2022 - Bangkok
We headed back to the hospital for my follow up. My heel had almost no swelling left now. I still couldn't plantarflex much though without pain, although that seemed to be improving incrementally every day.
When I walked in to the office the doctor had my MRI up on the screen -- and proceeded to tell me terrible news. I had achilles tendinopathy, a chronic inflammation of the tendon from continuous damage that never had the chance to properly heal. He pointed out what healthy tissue would look like -- solid black -- compared to mine -- which was ghosted with white. He said I could rupture my tendon at any minute and recommended surgery to remove the scar tissue. He basically said I could continue traveling for a few weeks but he recommended surgery as soon as possible.
This meant our trekking this summer wouldn't happen and our trip would likely have to end. We don't have health insurance and a limited amount of money. Not only would a surgery be pricey but recovery would take time and money too.
I was heartbroken.
Day 14 - May 19th, 2022 - Bangkok to Ayutthaya 🚆
I wanted to see the estimate for the surgery from the hospital (since I had no health insurance in the US), as well as to get a second opinion. I scheduled one at another well-regarded (but more reasonably priced) hospital for two weeks later. We decided to continue with our plan in Thailand and wait and see what my tendon would do.
I was vacillating between mourning our trip, having hope that I might recover before at least trekking in September, and absolute devastation.
The sudden chance of being unable to continue our trip firmed up my resolution to appreciate what traveling we had at the present, even though it wasn't fulfilling my dreams of trekking through the mountains.
So we packed up and headed to the train station to make our way to Chiang Mai, 600km to the north.
We'd stop at a few cities along the way though, first in Ayutthaya, an ancient capital of both the Khmer and Siamese Kingdoms.
We bought a third class ticket for 15THB each. The train came and we loaded on -- third class wasn't bad at all! The seats weren't the most comfortable and there was no air conditioning, but it was relatively clean.
It was about a two hour train ride -- through Bangkok, the outskirts, and finally past rural agricultural areas. Every couple of stops new vendors would board and walk up and down the aisles advertising their goods -- popcorn, soda (served in a plastic bag), noodle dishes, sandwiches. It was very enjoyable to ride, even though our ear drums suffered and we quickly became damp from all the sweat. Temperatures were about 90, with 80% humidity. Bangkok is a scant 13.7 degrees north of the equator, so the radiant heat was extreme. Standing in the sun brought on immediate and profuse sweating.
Eventually we made it to town and headed for a pier on google maps that was marked as a ferry -- it would save us a kilometer of walking. Crossing cost 20THB for both of us. The attendant waved across the river for them to come pick up our group, which now numbered six.
We crossed, then walked through town a few blocks to our hotel, Baan Khun Na Ayutthaya ($16USD/night), a small guesthouse. This was our first experience with a more traditional town.
We checked in and settled in. It was in a traditionally designed and decorated building -- all single skin cladding, carved wood railings, and bamboo wallcoverings. It was quite nice! There was a pregnant white cat that kept trying to get into our room too. We guessed she must be getting ready to have her kittens.
We headed over to the night market, which was a few blocks away. We passed the largest millipede I have ever seen in my life. It was about 10 inches long. *Shivers*
The night market was a single block long -- with stalls lined up on both sides. First we experienced the smells -- oh the smells!!! Grilling meat, chilies, stir fries... we were salivating from 50 feet away. We did one pass and then came back and investigated some of the stalls. We picked up a pack of masks for $1, some protein on a stick for 20THB, and a package of river prawns for 200THB.
All of the carts had their food displayed so neatly. Everyone we talked to was so nice and helpful. It was a feast for all the senses. We were starting to see that order pervaded every aspect of Thai culture. It was beautiful to see.
I desperately wanted to photograph here but it was sooo busy -- and I was afraid to offend. I finally worked up the courage to photograph the night markets in Chiang Rai -- stay tuned!
I asked Vitali if he liked these more than small shrimp. He replied: "The more shrimp the better."
Day 15 - May 20th, 2022 - Ayutthaya
Today we would tour the Ayutthaya Historical Park.
We had to walk a few blocks. What surprised us about Thailand was right next to a very traditional building -- there'd be something like this.
Ayutthaya was originally populated by the Khmer, around 850AD, and later power was consolidated by the Siamese, between 1351 to 1767. In the 16th and 17th centuries the city reached the height of its culture -- a prosperous Golden Age. In the 18th century internal conflicts led to a weakened state which left it vulnerable to invasion by the Burmese. In 1767, after a 14 month siege, the city was felled to complete ruin.
What remains are the temples. The main religion during the golden age was Theraveda Buddhism, although there was influence from Hindu and Mahayana teachings as well.
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991, the park contains multiple beautiful structures. We visited Wat Mahathat first, dating to 1374. Many of the buildings were leaning. A whole crew of groundskeepers were also at work -- carefully grooming the plants to perfect appearance.
We learned here that you must never take a photo from above the head of the Buddha -- so we had to sit on the ground to photograph the famous statue above.
We left the park and walked over to Wat Ratchaburana across the street. Not before being lightly accosted by a tuk tuk driver looking for work. We had to actually tell him "no thank you" twice. We had a nice conversation with him though. He accurately guessed I was Chinese. What a difference from Egypt.
Wat Ratchaburana, dating to 1424, was quite beautiful. The central prang, made of stacked bricks covered in stucco, was fully in-tact. Prangs are the central spire-like element. The prang element dates back to the Khmer and was originally created for use in Hindu temples, and represents the center of the universe, Mount Meru. The narrowness of the spire was due to a lack of spanning technology as well as to represent the sanctity of the temple space inside. The Sukhothai Kingdom later developed this architectural element further.
We headed over to Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit, a modern temple next. I saw two elephants walking down the street being ridden by their mahouts. We passed over what would become ubiquitous markers of a temple complex -- man-made channels around the perimeter.
We approached the temple, unsure of what to do. We watched and imitated -- remove your shoes at the entrance, then enter. There were a lot of people making offerings.
Then we walked to the adjacent Wat Phra Si Sanphet, dating to 1351. Built by King Ramathibod, it was the holiest temple on the site of the old Royal Palace. There was a model showing how it appeared before being destroyed.
The three central chedis that remained were quite commanding. King Ramathibodi II (the original King's son), added two more chedis for the ashes of his father and brother.
We walked over to Wat Worachettharam for our final stop.
It had a giant reclining buddha, dating to the middle Ayutthaya period.
We headed back for home. We saw some kittens scamper into a chedi, followed by mom!
We flagged down a tuk tuk to get back as we had already walked 5.5 miles and my boot was tired.
In the afternoon we headed out for a boat tour around the canals around the old city. It was 600THB for both of us.
The views from the water were incredible. Homes, temples, contemporary buildings, all side by side.
We visited Wat Phanan Choeng first. All the temples had their own matching boat dock buildings. We docked at one where the water was squirming with giant carp.
This temple was built in 1324 and features a 19 meter tall Buddha. It was huge.
Then we loaded back in and headed to Wat Phutthaisawan, dating to 1353.
It is surrounded by a square cloister that houses what looked to be a hundred golden Buddhas.
There were several contemporary temples on this site too.
We got back on the boat and headed to our final stop -- Wat Chaiwatthanara, dating to 1630.
We passed some more interesting buildings and even a very long river barge.
Finally we arrived at the temple, where the king and his successors performed religious ceremonies.
Like I mentioned before, the main prang represents Mount Meru. Around it are four small prangs, representing the four continents, and the oceans in between. Around the entire complex, a wall, represents the Iron Mountains.
There were some Thai folks here dressed up in traditional dress taking photos.
This was the loveliest complex we had seen so far.
It was also featured in Mortal Kombat!
There were some bats living in the structures.
We headed back to the pier after that, grabbed our first street vendor food, and then walked back home. Vitali wasn't certain what the food was, but it was good.
Day 16 - May 21st, 2022 - Ayutthaya to Lopburi 🚆
We headed to the train station to continue our journey north to Lopburi, only 40 minutes away. Our third class tickets cost 26THB for two.
It began to rain while we travelled, and we passed by beautiful rice fields. Lopburi is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, dating to 468AD. We stopped here because I had read about a temple overrun with monkeys.
We made it into town and thankfully it was only drizzling. We walked a few blocks to the Noom Guesthouse ($16/night). We had a cute little room on an interior courtyard.
My tendon was improving pain wise every day -- and by today, walking unaided felt easier and better than with the boot. So I decided to shed the boot while we went for a walk around town. I still had a limp that wold get worse over time though.
We went to pick up some food from 7-eleven and then headed over to Wat Phrasi Rattana Mahathat, in the Bayon style of the Khmer, dating to the 12th or 13th centuries.
More beautiful architecture, but no monkeys at this one.
We headed over to King Narai's Palace next, dating to 1656. As we walked, we started to notice monkeys on the roof tops!
We entered the palace grounds, where the King lived 8-9 months of the year (not in the rainy season). The grounds were incredibly lush and immaculate. Symmetry and order prevailed.
Incredibly substantial (6' - 10' thick?) white stucco'd walls surrounded the palace proper.
There was also a small museum on site which we toured, and a passed out cat.
Finally -- we headed over to the monkey temple, Pra Prang Sam Yod. As we got closer we started to see that the street was crowded with monkeys. Whereas shops were typically open-air everywhere we had seen thus far in Thailand -- these all had doors or screens to keep the nuisances out!
The streets around this temple had no pedestrians -- which was telling. The monkeys were very curious and before long started coming up to us and grabbing our pants! It seemed like some of the younger ones were even ready to jump on us. Vitali shook our umbrella at one that got too close and the look on his face was so human -- he gave us a look of fear and betrayal.
We finally approached Pra Prang Sam Yod, and found it absolutely overrun with monkeys. Monkeys on the grass, monkeys on the fence, monkeys alll over the temple. We tried to approach but got scared as monkeys seemed to be brawling out front and eyeing us curiously like they were about to steal our valuables. A lone park ranger sat dejectedly at the entrance, but we didn't make it to him before we got too scared and turned back.
This temple is featured on a baht note.
So -- the monkeys. These are macaques. There have always been monkeys living in Lopburi, but their population has exploded since the start of the Monkey Buffet Festival in 1989. The festival honors the traditional Lopburi belief that monkeys are disciples of a spirit which protects the city, and celebrates by feeding the monkeys with a giant buffet.
So now there are a shitload of monkeys. Apparently, in 2021 there was a temple monkey and street monkey gang war that broke out due to a lack of food. It caused traffic issues and blood was shed.
We walked back to our guesthouse, ordered some dinner from the restaurant, and went to sleep. My tendon had performed okay without the boot today -- I still felt weak but I had walked 2.5 miles with an acceptable range of motion. The idea of needing surgery was starting to feel not right at all. It had been 10 days and every day had been better than the day before.
In the next post -- we visit the capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom; Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai!
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