Life's a Trip: Chapter Nine - Thailand, Old and New
December 30th, 2006
I spend the day of the 30th travelling North of Bangkok to Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya is a city that acted as the capital of the Ayutthaya kingdom, from 1350 to 1767. It is still home to many of the truly impressive structures that comprised the kingdom.
The train ride out of Bangkok is an experience in and of itself. I get onto a rickety old train which has no doors or windows. Even though the ride will take an hour and a half, I choose to stand so that I can easily film the Thai countryside as it rolls by. Here are a few glimpses of what I saw:
When I arrive in Ayutthaya I hire a tuktuk to bring me to some of the most visited attractions in the late kingdom.
The first stop is Wat Yai Chaimongkhon. The monastery was constructed in 1357 but the large chedi on the grounds was constructed in 1592 in celebration of King Naresuan's defeat of King Maha Upparacha in their famous elephant battle.
The main chedi of Wat Yai Chaimongkhon
A line of lovely Buddhas sitting in a row
Chedi profile
Wat Yai Chaimongkhon tour
The second stop of the day is Wat Mahathat, home to the famous and mysterious Buddha head in the roots of a fig tree. No one knows why the Buddha head is there or how it got there, but I find it quite interesting. It definitely draws your attention to the lifespan of the structures and statues that surround you while walking the grounds. The Wat itself was built between 1374 and 1390 and underwent subsequent periods of restoration. However, despite efforts to preserve the structures, they are now in ruins due to wars waged in the area and natural forces such as earthquakes and vast amounts of rainfall during the Thai rainy season.
Headless Buddhas at Wat Mahathat
More Wat Mahathat
Posing with the famous Buddha head in the fig roots
As the day wears on I decide that it's time to head back to Bangkok to meet up with Joe and Thias in Khao San. On the way back to Bangkok, I meet a young Thai couple and pass the some time chatting while enjoying the breeze created by the train as it shambles it's way from the countryside to the sprawling cityscape.
The Thai couple that I chatted with
Passenger train back to Bangkok
Here's a video of the ride back into the city
Joe, Thias and I meet in Khao San around 8:00 and begin a mission to scour the city for nightlife. Our search brings us from Khao San to Sukhumvit to Patpong and then back to Khao San when we finally realize that we're not going to get into any nightclubs wearing board shorts and sandals. Although we didn't find any nightlife per se, it was a great opportunity to get out and see the city at night while having interesting conversations with friends.
A new spin on drinking and driving.
A bar/truck in the Patpong area
While we're in Patpong we encounter the same bug vendor that Joe and I had met in front of on the previous day, however this time we decide to sample his wares. Joe and Thias bought me some sort of beetle for 60 baht (which is about two dollars Canadian). Here's what ensued:
The setup (featuring Thias)
The money-shot
The bug attempting to escape
Joe sampling some beetle
Putting on a show
When we return to Khao San we grab a few drinks (including a martini...it had been months since I had a proper martini). By this time many of the bars on the street are closing up for the night, so Joe, Thias and I decide to move our little elsewhere. Joe persuades us to go off in search a wat that he had seen while we were riding around in a tuk tuk.
Joe and Thais temple hunting at night
We stop at a convenience store, pick up some redbull and beer and set off on an adventure. About an hour later we still haven't found the Wat and we're close to my Chinatown hotel, so we make plans for hitting a New Year's party and then I call it a night.
I spend the day of the 30th travelling North of Bangkok to Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya is a city that acted as the capital of the Ayutthaya kingdom, from 1350 to 1767. It is still home to many of the truly impressive structures that comprised the kingdom.
The train ride out of Bangkok is an experience in and of itself. I get onto a rickety old train which has no doors or windows. Even though the ride will take an hour and a half, I choose to stand so that I can easily film the Thai countryside as it rolls by. Here are a few glimpses of what I saw:
When I arrive in Ayutthaya I hire a tuktuk to bring me to some of the most visited attractions in the late kingdom.
The first stop is Wat Yai Chaimongkhon. The monastery was constructed in 1357 but the large chedi on the grounds was constructed in 1592 in celebration of King Naresuan's defeat of King Maha Upparacha in their famous elephant battle.
The main chedi of Wat Yai Chaimongkhon
A line of lovely Buddhas sitting in a row
Chedi profile
Wat Yai Chaimongkhon tour
The second stop of the day is Wat Mahathat, home to the famous and mysterious Buddha head in the roots of a fig tree. No one knows why the Buddha head is there or how it got there, but I find it quite interesting. It definitely draws your attention to the lifespan of the structures and statues that surround you while walking the grounds. The Wat itself was built between 1374 and 1390 and underwent subsequent periods of restoration. However, despite efforts to preserve the structures, they are now in ruins due to wars waged in the area and natural forces such as earthquakes and vast amounts of rainfall during the Thai rainy season.
Headless Buddhas at Wat Mahathat
More Wat Mahathat
Posing with the famous Buddha head in the fig roots
As the day wears on I decide that it's time to head back to Bangkok to meet up with Joe and Thias in Khao San. On the way back to Bangkok, I meet a young Thai couple and pass the some time chatting while enjoying the breeze created by the train as it shambles it's way from the countryside to the sprawling cityscape.
The Thai couple that I chatted with
Passenger train back to Bangkok
Here's a video of the ride back into the city
Joe, Thias and I meet in Khao San around 8:00 and begin a mission to scour the city for nightlife. Our search brings us from Khao San to Sukhumvit to Patpong and then back to Khao San when we finally realize that we're not going to get into any nightclubs wearing board shorts and sandals. Although we didn't find any nightlife per se, it was a great opportunity to get out and see the city at night while having interesting conversations with friends.
A new spin on drinking and driving.
A bar/truck in the Patpong area
While we're in Patpong we encounter the same bug vendor that Joe and I had met in front of on the previous day, however this time we decide to sample his wares. Joe and Thias bought me some sort of beetle for 60 baht (which is about two dollars Canadian). Here's what ensued:
The setup (featuring Thias)
The money-shot
The bug attempting to escape
Joe sampling some beetle
Putting on a show
When we return to Khao San we grab a few drinks (including a martini...it had been months since I had a proper martini). By this time many of the bars on the street are closing up for the night, so Joe, Thias and I decide to move our little elsewhere. Joe persuades us to go off in search a wat that he had seen while we were riding around in a tuk tuk.
Joe and Thais temple hunting at night
We stop at a convenience store, pick up some redbull and beer and set off on an adventure. About an hour later we still haven't found the Wat and we're close to my Chinatown hotel, so we make plans for hitting a New Year's party and then I call it a night.
posted by Christopher Janca at 1:22 p.m.
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