Route map for the Thai portion of our trip.
Interesting Facts learned during our one hour drive:
- Thai people are very modest and use euphemisms for bathroom breaks. For men, they wish to shoot the rabbit, while women request an opportunity to pick up the flower.
- Do not say “ow” during a Thai massage as that is a request for a happy ending and is not one of the options provided by masseuses arranged by our tour provider.
The kingdom of Thailand has had four capitals. Today we drove to the second of them, Ayutthaya, which served as the capital from 1350-1767. We made cultural stops before arriving at hotel around 5.
Rice fields
Two water buffalo, one fully in its element
FIRST STOP
The royal summer palace at Bang Pa-In dates to the 17th century but didn’t approach its present form until the 1850s. Today it’s seldom used by the royal family and the grounds are open to the public unless someone is in residence.
As with temples and royal sites across Thailand, a strict dress code is enforced. No short pants or skirts, no exposed shoulders or cleavage, no tight clothing, and no fair trying to slip through using a scarf or wrap to cover up exposed areas.
Detail from a gate
One of the kings liked to climb this tower to watch his royal elephants.
Today they remain only as whimsical topiary
Chinese style building
Saw this cannonball tree at our lunch stop. The balls are the size and weight of a cantaloupe.
And bloom into these lovely flowers
SECOND STOP
Wat Mahathat is a royal temple built to enshrine a relic of the Buddha. Construction on the monastery and ceremonial complex started in 1384.
The main pagoda (prang) collapsed and was reconstructed in 1633. In 1767 the Burmese army burned the monastery and the site fell into decay along with the rest of the razed city.
Excavations started in the 1950s.
Legend has it that the Burmese decapitated the Buddhas around the site, but scholars also suggest some looting was done by Thai people. (I can’t help but think of all those gold Buddhas similarly positioned at Wat Po in Bangkok.)
During site excavations, one of the heads was discovered serenely gazing from the roots of a banyan tree.
Strict rules dictate that if you photograph a person with the Buddha’s head, the subject must sit down so they are not shown as above the Buddha. A guard relentlessly enforced this policy.
STOP THREE
The Khmer style Wat Chaiwatthanaram temple complex was founded in 1620 as a tribute to the king’s late mother. It’s been undergoing restoration since the nearby river flooded in 2011.
As we saw in Wat Arun, traditional Thai costumes were available for rent. These two are watching a friend show off his sweet swordsman skills.
Both the second and third stops are part of Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I love the head that a tree grew around. Lots of beautiful pics!
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