The final port of call on our cruise was Leam Chabang, near Bangkok. We opted to take an excursion to the ancient city of Ayutthaya, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. While today it is a modern city, the entire area is dotted with ancient temples.
First, though, we made a stop at the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. On the long drive north, our guide schooled us in the history of the Rama line of Thai kings…and made it interesting!
The palace grounds are quite large, with man-made lakes, monuments, elephant topiary, and various buildings used for the King’s palace, visiting dignitaries, ceremonies, and one small gingerbread house that was used by the king to get away from everyone. Our guide told us that when the king went to that little house, no one was allowed in: no servants, no family, no officials. This was his place for “me time.”
After a stop for another delicious Thai luncheon at Kantary Ayutthaya, we were off to visit the temples. A note about the meals we had in Thailand: I love Thai food. Interestingly enough, my favorite Thai restaurants are in Alaska-go figure. There’s a Thai food truck that operates in the summer near a hotel just South of the entrance to Denali National Park, and I always make it a point to visit whenever I’m in the area as I lead tours. But I always wondered just how authentic the food really was. Two years ago I had a Thai couple who told me they approved of the food from the truck, which I took as a good sign. I now know that the Thai food in Alaska is absolutely authentic. And yummy!
I couldn’t resist a photo of another unique vehicle for tourists. There are benches in the back and you just hang on for the drive!
Next we were off to visit the whole reason we took this tour: the ancient temples. The first stop was at Wat Yai Chaya Mongkoi (Wat meaning temple.) As soon as we neared the temple grounds, my friend and I said at the same time, “THIS is what we came to Thailand for.” Well, that and the food.
There was again the opportunity to climb up to view the complex from the main temple, and I again decided to be smart and not go there. I did climb a few steps, but with uneven and ancient bricks, no handrails, and soaring temperatures, we both decided a few steps was plenty. Oh, to be twenty again and able to scramble up to the top! The entire area was amazing, however, and there is a feeling of serenity about it, even with the many visitors.
Our next stop was Wat Maha That. This temple complex was even older than the first, and our guide explained how to tell the difference based on how the towers were constructed. The older ones look like corncobs! By this time the heat was getting brutal, and the park provided umbrellas to help keep the sun from beating on our heads.
The Buddha above is the only one in the complex that is complete. When the area was invaded by the Burmese they destroyed the many images of the Buddha, and when the Thai people tried to restore their temple the found most of the Buddhas had been destroyed and the heads smashed. The Buddha above was reassembled from the pieces.
The only other Buddha head that survived has become a symbol of the temple: it became encased in the roots of the tree above.
The final stop on our tour was at Wat Phra Is Sanpet, the oldest of the three sites we visited, and there are no photos to show you. It was truly so hot that several of us on the tour were becoming the worse for wear. After climbing around and up and down ancient steps and being literally drenched in perspiration, I was beginning to feel faint. Several of us on the tour opted to stay on the bus and look from afar. Hailing from Montana and Alaska, I just don’t have the ability to function in the heat and humidity. My usual coping mechanism of taking it slow and not going out in the hottest part of the day just doesn’t work on a sightseeing excursion!
Travels with Billie 