Bangkok - Ayutthaya and Ancient Siam

This morning we headed north out of Bangkok to visit the ancient city of Ayutthaya. It was founded by King Ramathibodi in 1350 on an island surrounded by rivers. It served as the capital city of Siam until its destruction by the Burmese army in 1767. There were 35 kings that ruled the kingdom during that period. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

Out first stop was to Wat Chaiwatthanaran. It was built in 1630 by King Prasat Thong as the first temple of his reign and as a memorial of his mother's residence in the area.

We then stopped by an elephant riding station so some of the group could take a ride. I didn't because I will be doing an elephant trek later on.

We proceeded to visit Wat Phra Si Sanphet which was built in1448. It was the holiest temple of the time and served as the private worship place for the royal family. It was destroyed when the Burmese army conquered the island in 1767.

As we arrived at the site this gentleman was selling ice cream bars. We stopped to talk with him about his life. He said he was from a southern part of the country next to Cambodia and was here to try and make a living so he could send money back for his family. He said he would make $30 on a good day. He was extremely happy when most of the group bought an ice cream bar from him at $ .35 each. I told him I really liked his leather hat with the elephant design and  he asked me if I wanted to buy it for $3.00. I kindly thanked him and declined.

I love talking with the locals so I can have a better understanding of their struggles and lifestyle.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet 

Next to this was Wihan Phramongkhon Bophit - an active temple that has a large Buddha statue measuring 55 feet tall.

After lunch we went down to the Chao Phraya River to take cruise up river.

There were some shanty houses, middle income houses, and temples along the banks.

We docked at a Muslim village to go and speak with the local Imam. During the Ayutthaya period, the city traded extensively with India and many came to settle in the area. It was interesting talking with the Imam and we were invited to enter the mosque.

On the way back into town John asked if we would like to ride the sky train (elevated train) back to the hotel in order to avoid sitting in the rush hour traffic. So of course we did. It was quite an experience with all the people.

This is the traffic we were avoiding.

Well that concludes another great day of exploration. Tomorrow is our last day in the Bangkok area before heading to Laos.