The sun is shining brightly and the accommodations don't look so bad to us anymore. We leave the hostel. We board a taxi to go to the Hua Lamphong train station in Bangkok the train leaves almost every hour, he puts the meter before we tell him anything. We buy the tickets to Ayutthaya.
Our accommodation in Bangkok
We have breakfast at the station in a franchise, Black Canyon, some coffees and some buns. We meet Marian and Maria, two lovely Valencians.
The six of us take the train in third class. Top-of-the-line skai seats, ceiling fans. Not much of a tourist, mostly locals, some selling food.
We buy some bags of local snacks, some with a garlic flavour and others with a shrimp flavour. The woman gives us the change she takes out of her ear, we are amazed.
Pier
The train takes two hours, but between the landscape and the Valencian women, it flies by. The train goes through suburbs, shanty towns, many people on the tracks, dirt, poverty, but we also enjoy beautiful landscapes, rice fields and jungle everywhere.
Stupas
We arrive at the Ayutthaya train station located on the banks of the Pa Sak river. We take a ferry to get to the centre. We walk 700 meters and arrive at Tony's Place. The accommodation is very good, nice treatment, Asian hygiene, all wooden. Our bathroom is outside, it is in the terrace of the room.
Wat Yai Chai Mongkol
Wat Yai Chai Mongkol
Wat Yai Chai Mongkol
Wat Yai Chai Mongkol
Ayutthaya is a legendary city, known for its magnificent temples, the ruins of the old city are located inside and outside the island, where the river has an essential role, is a way of transport, washing and bathing for the locals.
Children
The six of us take a tuk tuk to visit the wats. Our first stop is the Wat Phra Si Sanphet, with three khedis, which housed the Royal Palace in its time.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Wat Phra Mongkhon Bophit
Next to it the Wat Phra Mongkhon Bophit houses a huge bronze Buddha. Next stop Wat Phra Mahathat where the Buddha's head is housed among roots. It is curious that all Buddha figures are dressed in orange robes, the same colour as the monks.
Buddha in Wat Phra Mahathat
Wat Phra Mahathat
Wat Phra Mahathat
We eat a pad thai with a soda, it is very hot and there is a lot of humidity. We get scared for a moment, in one of the channels we see something that moves and thinking about an alligator we are warned that it is a "slizor" a type of huge varano with a forked tongue like snakes.
Our next stop is the Wata Phanan Choeng, with an image of a very tall Buddha. Finally we visit the Wata Yai Chai Mongkon with an impressive chedi and a reclining Buddha of almost seven meters long, and the reclining giant Buddha in Wat Lokayasutharam.
Reclining giant Buddha in Wat Lokayasutharam
The city is really worth it.
Maria and Marian take tickets for a boat tour of the city along the river and canals. We prefer to rest at the hostel with a good beer. We also want to visit the Khao Yai National Park and have to arrange that. After considering several options, we hire a car with driver at Tony's, Ris is an axe and gets it for us for 750 THB.
Wat Yai Chai Mongkon
Buddha
We go back to Valencia and take a walk to see the night market. We eat another pad thai in a stall, they have tables and benches, the drink is bought in another stall.
We get into a bar, some people are convinced that they get free food, it was not good at all, the beer was better. There are older men with young Thai girls.
Train tickets from Bangkok to Ayutthaya: 15 THB per pax.
Breakfast at the station: 530 THB 4 pax.
Ferry: 5 THB per pax.
Accommodation: Tony's Place double room with fan with bathroom 250 THB.
Tuk tuk to tour the temples inside Ayutthaya: 75 THB per pax.
Boat on the canals: 200 THB per pax.
Car with driver for Kao Yai: 750 THB all day.
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