Day 31
Today we have been away for one full month but instead of celebrating I wake up after a restless night sleep, full of dreams of home, low and teary. It's the first time I've felt really down on this trip and it's made even worse by how good I felt about travelling yesterday. But Ben as always is excellent, mopping up the tears and giving me a hug. I don't want to mope though as today we are getting a bike to go off exploring and I love doing that so I pull myself together and we set off.
Ayutthaya was the ancient capital of Thailand and is full of temples and ruins to explore so we pick a handful off the poor map the hostel has given us and set off. These roads are a little busier than what we've been used to on the little islands but Ben drives like a true Thai, weaving in and out of traffic and with me directing from the back, we make good time getting to our first temple, Wat Yai Chaimongkohn
Before we set foot inside, Ben caves and buys a pair of elephants "to be respectful in the temples" but I know the real reason is because they are like wearing your Pjs out and he's wanted a pair since we've arrived. The temple is just outside the city and has a huge pagoda (dome) which you can see way before you reach it. It's a beautiful place and is still used as a place of worship so it's bright and noisy.
Next on our list is a much older temple which is on the river bank just outside the city again. Wat Chaiwatthanaram was partly destroyed and left as a shine to that so as you walk around most of the Buddhas are headless or missing limbs which is a strange things to see. We are hitting mid day now mad starting to toast so grab ice creams and take some photos before we hit the next temple, our last before lunch.
We have to travel even further out of the city to find this and might possible have had to do a few u-turns to get to it. You can't miss it when you get near though as its bright white and sits proud on the landscape. Wat Phukhao Thong is meant to give good views of the city so in the mid day heat we climb its 90 odd steps to find...a rubbish view. You can't really see anything as its all so flat and its so hot, we make a quick retreat to find some lunch.
After yesterday's mishap and my craving for pasta, Ben succomes to my western food hunger and we eat in a Thai version of Pizza Hut. It's not the best food I've ever eaten but man it's good, and I get my carb fix which should last me a little while, we buy a few bits in the attached shops and go back to drop them off. We still have another 3 temples on our list but the food baby's and the heat have turn us off the idea. There is one we still want to look at, and it's only a short drive from the hostel. Wat Maha That is right near the grand palace and has nature growing all the way through it. Here though was where my annoyance at tourists bubbles over and I grumble at Ben all the way round. The amount of people that are here inappropriately dresses (shoulders and legs out) or sitting on the Buddha is unreal. It really takes nothing to throw on a sarong (as I do) or a shawl but means everything to the Thai people, and tourist who come here are so disrespectful to ignore that. Grumble grumble.
We drive around after this, spotting elephants working along the paths and more ruins of temples. An exercise park catches Ben's attention as we are having a quick drive round and we stay here until he overheats and we go back to the hotel room so he can hide on the air con. I FaceTime home which actually helps to dull the ache for it and then we have pot noodles for tea, enviable life I know.
Day 32
Another polar opposite mood today and I'm full of beans. We are leaving to go off in search of a safari and I'm packed the quickest I've ever been. Our adventure is taking us to Pak Chong today and we are going on my favourite type of transport again, the train! I'm also booking out advance tickets to Chiang Mai for a couple of days time and it's so easy, all of the ticket system is computerised with everyone getting allocated seats and it's takes 5 minutes to get all 4 tickets I need sorted. The same speed can't be said for the train though and it's a full 45 minutes late when it rolls into the station but at least it's air conned.
I know I've touched on how much technology is loved out here but I don't think I've given enough time to the passion most under 25 have here for the selfie. Honestly every where we go people are continuously snapping and today's no different with the girl next to me taking at least 6 a minute for the full 2 hour trip. We arrive in Pak Chong but miss the taxis out due to our need for food, on the up side we did find a cool vintage cafe so it's not all bad. After a few hand signals and a 15 minute wait a taxi turns up for us and whisks us on our way. Khao Yai is where the big national park and safaris are and our hotel is just outside it but that's all that is around it. Once feed and watered we spend the afternoon trying to work out our plans and fail miserably, we walk to dinner thinking tomorrow will be spent in the room again when the owner comes up trumps and gets us on a full day safari starting at 8.30am. I can't wait and am nicely tucked up early, all ready for the adventure of tomorrow.
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