Then, in 1767, the Burmese invaded and razed the city to the ground. What remains of Thailand’s ancient capital is now a scattered collection of crumbling buildings, and is a big draw-card for tourists.
The best way to get around is by renting a bicycle – and that’s exactly what I did. It was an aesthetically grey day, building an eerie atmosphere for this long-extinct kingdom.
One of its most bizarre sights is the Buddha face that stares out from a tree at Wat Phra Mahthat. A group of Japanese tourists was crowded around it, and excitement sprung inside me as I realised I could practise some Japanese. As the group began moving away, I cornered one middle-aged lady.
In my head, I said in fluent Japanese: “Excuse me. Would you be so kind as to take a photo for me?”
What blabbered out of my mouth was much closer to: “Excuse me. Would you could take a photo… could?”
How embarrassing. My Japanese has gotten terrible.
At least I got my photo!
You kneel down low out of respect, so that you're not above the Buddha head
The highlight for me was when I got out of the main area and found myself riding on a narrow stretch of road behind a line of about five elephants, returning home after a day of carrying tourists. They took up half the road and I had to duck a swishing tail or two when I eventually overtook them, but for an amusing moment I was a part of their proud procession.
The following morning I checked out Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, which was somewhat outside the city. It was interesting largely because the compound incorporates so many international architectural influences.
The rest of my day (and night) was spent travelling. After catching the slow bus back to Ayutthaya, I was crammed in a van destined for Bangkok with about ten others. Sure, we all had a seat, but there was no extra room for everyone’s bags… so they were pretty much tossed in on top of us. I really dislike that about these touristy places – the people in charge of some of the services are simply there to take advantage of visitors and maximise their profits. That, rather than the lack of space in the van for the following hour and a half, is what made me uncomfortable.
But I don’t tend to linger on such thoughts for long. After a very slow, peak-hour taxi ride through Bangkok, I made it to the bus terminal where most of the buses depart for the south of Thailand. I was pretty excited – I’d been looking forward to seeing some of Thailand’s renowned southern beaches since arriving in the country a year earlier.
I climbed into my bus and prepared to get some sleep. The bus wouldn’t arrive until the next morning.
I closed my eyes.
Koh Phi Phi – I’m coming for you.
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