Oh, By The Way, I Went to Thailand Again

That’s right, in Sept- ember, I returned back to the land of smiles, a sort of encore trip if you will. It was only a weekend travel, but I packed quite a bit into that short weekend. My primary focus was on ancient temples and the Khmer ruins of times gone past. With really just a day to explore, I decided to narrow my journey to Ayuthaya, Thailand’s former capital and royal history.

I arrived late into Bangkok, and no other country in the world accommodates late comers better than Thailand. In getting off the plane, I changed my TW dollars into Thai Baht, but with such little to change, I went over to an ATM to take out some more. I double checked- the machine had the PLUS mark on it necessary for a withdrawal, but alas nothing came out. I tried again, and once more, nothing.

I decided that, once I arrived in the city, I would use an internet station and SKYPE call my bank to figure out what was going on. I got into town, found a computer and made the call. They informed me that I can only take out US$60 at a time. At these ATMs, they only have increments of 1000 Baht, or US$33. Well, 2000 Baht was too much at US$60, so I was stuck taking out US$33 at a time- puttin

g in and taking out the ATM card over and over again.

I finally got my money and went over to my hotel- the PS guesthouse. It was recommended to me by a friend and, despite being in the heart of the red light district and girly bars/ massage parlors, it’s actually a very nice place to stay. It’s one of the cheapest, but the rooms are clean and spacious. I would say it is a hidden gem in Bangkok, except that it’s always full. Last time I came to Bangkok about a year and a half ago, it was booked months in advance. This time around, I was able to get it for Friday night, but not Saturday night.

Nevertheless, I got my room, went out for a quick drink at a nice relaxed bar, not a go-go bar, and then hit the sack. I was up early the next day, got a bite to eat, and then was on the bus out to Ayuthaya. I don’t really remember the 2-3 hour ride as I slept most of the way. I do, however, remember arriving in the town. At first glance it seemed like a regular, normal little town that really didn’t have much to offer a temple seeker. However, this charmed city is the mecca of ancient Khmer ruins.

It was about lunch time when I arrived, so I took a tuk-tuk to a floating restaurant along the riverside. The air was warm and the river drifted along silently. Every now and again, a boat drove by, bouncing the restaurant up and down as I sat there, blissfully eating my sweet and sour Chicken.

The tuk-tuk driver that brought me to the restaurant also offered to take me around to see the popular sights in Ayuthaya. The price he was offering was fair. The price that he quoted to take me to the restaurant was correct and he did so without problem. He also had a little notebook of native English speaker’s comments recommending the tour. So, going against everything I heard about tuk-tuk scams, I decided to go along. It was an excellent decision.

The first stop was to one of the more recognizable Wats in Ayuthaya. Still functioning with Monks in residence, I got a first hand glimpse into the ancient lifestyles of the divinity. The steps were monstrously high, with sagging brick walls concaving in on each side. At the top of the Wat stood a deep well, caged in, at about 30 to 40 feet. A light lit up this otherwise dark abyss, revealing hundreds, if not thousands, of wished upon coins.

What fascinated me most of all, however, was not this central well, but actually the practice on the walls and statues. Inside the apex of this Wat were carefully carved statues. For a small donation, you were given a little square of gold paper, no more than 4 cm by 4 cm. The idea was to peel off this gold paper from it’s waxy backing and then apply it to the statues and walls. A centuries old work in progress, the temple walls and statues were slowly changing into gold, as little gold tissue papers lit up the mysterious alter of the Wat.

After that, it was off to the elephant farm, where, as I am sure you can guess, I rode an elephant. I got my own elephant and we used him to tour some of the surround temples of the remaining Wat Maheyong in fields and jungle. A primitive and remote way to explore the ruins around the area. The most exciting part, however, was when the guide hopped off and invited me to sit upon the elephant’s neck. Swinging side to side and having no where to faithfully hold on in order to secure my grip, it often times felt like a struggle just to stay on this magnificent beast. Before long, however, I started to get the hang of the trolloping and swaggering, and suddenly the adventure wasn’t a struggle to see if I could hold on, but rather a test to see how fast we could make the elephant go. In the end, not so fast.

Following the elephant trek, we proceeded to one of the most sacred spots in all of Ayuthaya. Wat Phra Mahahat, built by King Borom Rachathirat in the 1300s, In Thai culture, it is very special when the historical relics become entwined with the natural elements. Nowhere is this more pronounced, so I have heard, than in Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. However, Ayuthaya has a bit of this to share with the public as well, with a special relic- the head of Buddha wrapped lovingly and exotically among the vines and roots of a local tree. This enveloped head rests among a more elaborate and complex collection of temples and ruins.

Next stop was a large and reclining Buddha. It was large…and reclining. Enough said. However, I did manage to pick up a nice, US$3 hand made hammock while I was there, which is now a corner piece on my balcony in Taipei.

Our final visit was to the holiest of holies, the royalist of royals, the ground zero of the Kingdom- Wat Phra Si Sanphet. To put it another way, of all the Charlie Browns in the world, this was the Charlie Browniest.

This site, now housing a new giant golden Buddha (the original, 16 meters high with a 250kg covering of gold, was melted down by the invading Burmese) served as the King’s Palace in the good old days. The Wats and temples still stand, presenting the onlooker with some exquisite examples of traditional royal scenery.

It wasn’t before long that the rain poured in, signaling it was time to return to Bangkok. I took the tuk-tuk ride back to the town center where I hopped on a bus, returning to my hotel. I booked a second night at a place down the road, went out for dinner at my beloved Cabbages and Condoms for their scrumptious chicken, and then called it a night.

I was up early the next morning and made my way over to Soi Ban Baht where I purchased the most plain looking monks bowl I could find. In terms of craftsmanship, it was not a spectacle to behold. But when struck, it made the most melodious ring, far more pleasing to the ear than any of the other monk bowls available. So I bought this 50 year old monk bowl antique and it now sits squarely in my living room, collecting change and alms for my next adventure.

From your temple seeking archeologist of land of smiles, Michael.