So, today (following a yummy buffet brekkie!) we went to the old capital city, Ayutthaya (when Thailand was called Siam). We popped to the Old Palace and gardens which was beautiful, with turtles and fishes swimming happily in vast ponds, amidst beautiful grounds and architecture. Then onto some temple ruins, monasteries and more Buddha’s …. (Wat Yai Chai mongkoi and Wat Phra Si Sanphet ).
Disappointing bit of the day was the Cox and Kings pre planned elephant ride – we stood waiting for Pim to buy the entry tickets, feeling rather saddened seeing chained elephants rocking adjacent to each other having to perform to what can only be described as a ‘ganglam style’ gyration … Husband did ask me at this point if we should leave but stupidly I declined feeling all would be ok …. On witnessing the elephants being hit on the head by what looked like a pitch fork/mallet, our hearts completely broke – I rather crossly suggested to the Mahout (elephant trainer) that they were cruel and we left so deeply upset …. I have to question, how would the chap feel being whacked on the head so firmly and chained up had roles been reversed?! Alas, I cannot change the world though will completely rip the ‘attraction’ apart on Trip Advisor in the vain hope that fellow travellers steer clear. I tell you, it certainly puts the wonderful people of Kenya into perspective, those with so very little having the biggest hearts….
Lunch, for our taste, was disgusting, deep fried fish (skin?!?!?), beef (looked like pigs ‘earols!) and chicken with cashew nuts (phew!) – grubby toilets adjacent to drying table cloths, nice!
More temples etc pm, really stunning again. Passed rice fields with workers stooping down to plant little buds – must be back breaking, bless them, together with deep fried rats sold at the side of the road (caught from rice fields …. ‘kinda puts you off ‘ya basmati!) – you can buy them by the kilo it seems! Going to a show tonight with buffet included, mmmmmm, thank goodness for animal crackers and choccy mix bag we bought at airport! Still having a great time soaking in this culture!
A new day and fabulous view from our room this bright morning …. barges ‘tip toe’ by busily delivering produce up and down river as the city either sleeps or rushes about at a pace…
Visiting the war camps today and ride on a train across bridge over the river Kwai … English prisoners of war built the bridge (awkward silence!) so touching a bit of history and linking to the film.
Walked a small area of the bridge – ghostly silence and time for reflection – Museum tucked away offering respect aside remnants of pieces left behind by prisoners – deeply moving and thankfully not hidden and forgotten.
A good day out and about today, close to Burmese border – very pretty farmland with so many crops growing – fascinating seeing rice, tapioca and sugar cane in their raw state and not in a tin, bag or pudding!
In the evening the Party boats replace the produce barges – sailing loudly up and down the river, all lights and discos! Tomorrow, we have a ‘leisure day’ so plan to go to the flower markets, then return to one of the temples we whizzed around previously, finally onto town park for a look around to try and capture more street sights, smells and sounds…
