Completely surrounded by three rivers, it is no surprise that Ayutthaya was once the royal capital of Siam . Most of the ancient architecture has long since been reduced to ruins by the invasion of the Burmese but there are still many impressive sights that make this UNESCO world heritage site a popular stop on the tourist circuit. Arriving after dark, we stopped in our hotel long enough to drop our bags and bask briefly in the coolness of the air conditioning. Sufficiently chilled and offloaded we set out to see what was happening in this ancient city on a Friday night.We came upon an outdoor theatre which had an audience of about 25 rather disinterested looking locals. We joined in and watched what seemed to be a
Chinese opera for a little while, the lead actress seemed very pleased when we joined the crowd, probably because we were the only ones paying attention and even snapping photos. The costumes and make-up were great but eventually the shrillness of the singing through the over-amplified speakers drove us away. We snuck off while the leading lady was off stage and moved on to the small riverside night market. After a market stall dinner and a look around, it was time to retreat to the mercy of a/c once again.
The next day we rented a couple of bicycles and set out to explore some of the ruins. The crumbling remains hinted at what a magnificent place this must have been 500 years ago. We saw many stupas and even more Buddhas including the oft photographed Buddha face surrounded by the roots of a banyan tree. The bright saffron coloured sashes of worship tied about the crumbling remains of many of the Buddhas made for an especially dramatic contrast.
After lunch we came across the rather murky looking local swimming
hole. The group of boys that had gathered there chatted with us for a bit and then
showed off their skills at jumping off the bridge that spanned the river. A couple hours later the same boys were still playing there as we cruised under the bridge on our longtail boat tour around the island. From the river we saw more wats, some huge lizards, ladies doing laundry, people fishing, and parents bathing their children. Our boat driver even gave us some Thai lessons as we cruised along.
The next day we visited the museum for one final dose of ancient history before heading south to Damnoen Saduak.
Chinese opera for a little while, the lead actress seemed very pleased when we joined the crowd, probably because we were the only ones paying attention and even snapping photos. The costumes and make-up were great but eventually the shrillness of the singing through the over-amplified speakers drove us away. We snuck off while the leading lady was off stage and moved on to the small riverside night market. After a market stall dinner and a look around, it was time to retreat to the mercy of a/c once again.
The next day we rented a couple of bicycles and set out to explore some of the ruins. The crumbling remains hinted at what a magnificent place this must have been 500 years ago. We saw many stupas and even more Buddhas including the oft photographed Buddha face surrounded by the roots of a banyan tree. The bright saffron coloured sashes of worship tied about the crumbling remains of many of the Buddhas made for an especially dramatic contrast.
After lunch we came across the rather murky looking local swimming
hole. The group of boys that had gathered there chatted with us for a bit and then
showed off their skills at jumping off the bridge that spanned the river. A couple hours later the same boys were still playing there as we cruised under the bridge on our longtail boat tour around the island. From the river we saw more wats, some huge lizards, ladies doing laundry, people fishing, and parents bathing their children. Our boat driver even gave us some Thai lessons as we cruised along.The next day we visited the museum for one final dose of ancient history before heading south to Damnoen Saduak.
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