Thailand Travel Log: Ayuthaya

On Friday, Mom and I traveled to Ayuthaya province. This is about an hour outside of Bangkok, and was the capital up until about a thousand years ago. We started by touring ruins of a complex that may have been the palace or a temple. The ruins were pretty neat. It was much like touring an old fort in America in terms of how it looked. But obviously, the Thai's cement was a better mix than that of the American pioneers, since it was still holding strong, despite the handicap of an extra thousand years or so of exposure.

Had it not been so hot, the ruins would have been a great place to run and play hide-and-seek. I honestly had a little hide-and-seek fantasy while I toured, and had there been any children anywhere near, maybe we could have pulled it off. There really weren't too many people out there, and of those that were, I was the youngest to the extent that Mom was probably second youngest.

After the ruins, we went to visit a palace that is still kept up. The grounds were really nice, and I enjoyed my visit without going into any buildings at all. We splurged, and toured the grounds by golf cart. It was very nice, and I will post some video of the place once I get home.

Friday night: we went to a new night market, but it wasn't all that exciting. The excitement of the Thai markets is that you are packed into a small space with a zillion people in excruciating heat with no air conditioning. While this market didn't have air conditioning, it was spacious and not crowded. Not much different from an American flea market really.

Saturday morning: Dad and I went to breakfast near by and then walked to an antique store. All of the furniture was wood. A store employee and a kid were outside refinishing some pieces. They had nice stuff, and the prices are ridiculously low by our standards. I entertained a fantasy of being an importer, until we left.

Saturday night: We went on a dinner cruise up the river that goes through downtown Bangkok. It was a nice evening; the breeze kept it comfortable, and the food was pretty good.

The next thing on the agenda is a massage, which starts in half an hour.