Ayuthaya

From Bangkok I caught a bus for the short ride to the town of Ayuthaya. Ayuthaya was the capital of Siam (What Thailand was called before being named Thailand) from 1350 to 1767 and has a number of temple ruins. I rented a bike and spent most of my time riding around visiting the ruins and the museums. The towers at a number of the temples are very impressive but it is hard to be amazed with temple ruins after visiting the king of temple sites so recently, Angkor area around Siem Reap. The temples are a great deal different from the ones at Angkor and I enjoyed seeing them even if it is just really hard not compare them to the ones in Cambodia. Following is a picture of the tower at Wat Ratburana which I found impressive.

I also enjoyed walking around the market in the town center even though the fruit and food seems to be getting to be normal or at least the stuff that I can point to I seem to have already tried. I think I eat green chicken curry at least once every other day and about the same amount of grilled sausages and sticky rice.

Even with the good sites, markets and great food the high light of Ayuthaya for me still had to be the fact that it was not Bangkok and a lot slower pace.