Thailand - Part IV : Ayutthaya

The majestic old city. The former capital of the Siamese Kingdom.

Founded in 1350 and flourished throughout the 14th to 18th centuries. At its peak, it was one of the world's largest and most cosmopolitan urban areas and was a center of global diplomacy and commerce. Situated strategically on an island and surrounded by three rivers, connecting the city to the sea, it was known as The Venice of the East. It had been governed by a total of 35 Kings and had more than 1,500 temples and 4,000 statues.

The city was attacked and burned to the ground by the Burmese army in 1767 and forced its inhabitants to abandon the city. It was never rebuilt in the same location and the capital of the restored kingdom was then moved to Bangkok.

Ayutthaya, remains today as an archaeological site, characterized by tall towers and Buddhist monasteries, which showcased the city's past splendors. Foreign influences can be seen in the surviving architecture ruins, which was initially inherited from Angkor and later borrowed the styles of Japan, China, India, Persia and Europe.

Okay, those are some historical facts which was dug up from the net. We actually didn't know the city existed until it popped up in one of our searches. All the while, we only knew that Bangkok was the capital. Ayutthaya was never mentioned. We thought, why not go and have a look? So off we went to have a taste of the old city.

The ancient royal monastery of Wat Yai Chaimongkol - a Buddhist temple which also served as national education hub for the schooling of royal offspring. It features the Reclining Buddha, the Great Pagoda and the monument of King Naresuan, who is considered as a hero of all Thailand.

Another point definitely not to be missed - The Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO world heritage site. It houses four temples from the Early Ayutthaya Period - Wat Phra Ram, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Mahathat and Wat Ratchaburana - as well as the Royal Palace and Wiharn Phra Mongkol Bophit.

Honestly speaking, we didn't quite know which temple was which, as there were no signs or marks to indicate them. There weren't any descriptions placed to describe the sandstones either. So all we did was to roam every corner of the site and gazed upon the centuries old structures under the intense heat of the sun.

One iconic image, located alongside a wall, was a lone Buddha's head entwined in the roots of an overgrown banyan tree. The Buddha head of Wan Mahathat is extremely popular with tourists, with flocks of them hovering around the tree and waiting in line to snap a picture of it. No one knows for sure how the head ended up in the tree, with many theories surrounding it but none confirmed.

We didn't manage to see all of the temples, there were just too many to cover in one day. The stories that were held in each of them, the events that they have witnessed, just can't be fully revealed with just a few glimpses. It had been good enough to be have stepped foot on the ancient city, which have endured the centuries.

With that marked the end of our escapade. Time is always insufficient on vacations. Wished we had more time to see more. It had been one fulfilling yet exhausting journey. We have seen and brought back so much. Changes our perspectives on life a little. All those talks years go about a trip together had finally been realized.

All right then, till the next vacation.....

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Thailand - Part III : Khao Yai

Where on earth did you find this place?

It was featured in one of the travel magazines. Khao Yai, situated about 3 hours drive towards the northeast of Bangkok, boasts a national park. The Khao Yai National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site, blessed with mountainous landscapes, waterfalls, valleys, rich wildlife and rare tropical birds.

But that was not where we were headed. What caught our attention is this vineyard at the foot of the national park, through a small side road into the lush Asoke Valley, there lies the GranMonte Estate. A family owned vineyard and winery, producing wines out of home grown wine grapes from the local soil.

Little did we know that wines could be produced from a valley with tropical temperatures instead of a chilled highland. It wasn't only one type of grape, but various types have been grown - Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Semillon - to name a few. It's admirable how one man is able to turn his passion for wine into a successful business with international recognitions. We were fortunate to have met the founder and his wife during our brief stay at the estate.

Yes, we did put up a night at the estate. The GranMonte Guesthouse is at the edge of the vineyard and about 15 minutes walk from the main entrance.  No transportation was provided, and there was a real good reason for it. The rooms, with its dark hardwood floors, had been so comfortable that the friend had opted to sleep on it instead of the bed.

There was just so much to take in - the beautiful landscape, the vines, the morning whiffs, the trail, the pond, the flowers, the birds. The tranquility of its surroundings, the stillness of the night... words just couldn't do them justice. You ought to be there in person to experience it all.

We departed with such a heavy heart, for the second time now. The mind kept lingering back to that view of the sun peeking out from behind the mountains to cast a soft glow to the row of vines below. If only I could wake up to this every morning.

Since we were in the area, we stopped by at another tourist spot to see what did they have to offer - Farm Chokchai. An extremely large dairy farm and one of the biggest in Asia. We signed up for a tour to take us around the farm and to understand more of what they do. Boy, were we disappointed!

The entire tour was conducted in Thai. We had no idea what the narrative was all about. The few stage shows that was in store had been so lame that we were shaking our heads at the end. We were not able to see the cow cattle roam the field - they were all kept in sheds. Perhaps the only thing enjoyable was watching a demonstration of how a sheep dog chases a herd of sheep up to a truck. Even if you have time to spare on your trip, it would be advisable to leave out the place. It was not worth it.

From there on, we made our way to the old city of Thailand, one that is not known to many.....

Thailand - Part IV : Ayutthaya

 

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Thailand - Part II : Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park

Khao Sam Roi Yot means Mountain with 300 peaks, which describes the landscape of the park pretty well. A series of grey limestone mountains lies at the shore of the Gulf of Thailand and is about an hour's drive south of Hua Hin. Between the park are freshwater marshes but some have been converted into shrimp farms.

We stumbled upon the park while searching for places to explore. We were mesmerized by the pictures posted by travelers who have been there and wanted to see the place for ourselves. It would be an adventure which we had never experienced after having visited Thailand a couple of times before.

Our day started as early as 4.30 a.m. to catch the sunrise at Khao Daeng viewpoint. It was a short ride from the park headquarters to the base of the trail. As it was very dark when we arrived and there wasn't a properly marked trail, we were advised to wait till there was enough light before going up. But what about the sunrise? Unfortunately, we've got to skip that for safety reasons. There wasn't a guide assigned to bring us up either, so our driver had been so kind to escort us all the way to the top.

It was a steep hike of 320 meters. It took us about 45 minutes to reach. I was already out of breath less than half of the way and experiencing waves of dizziness. I have never been an outdoor person and going for such a hike without prior practice proved to be a lesson to be learned. I was stopping every few steps to catch my breath while the rest were way far ahead.

I eventually reached the top to the most spectacular view. The sea and shrimp farms were on one side and the mountains with its hundred peaks on the other - dubbed the 'Guilin of Thailand" by the locals. The exhausting hike was all but forgotten.

 

From there on, we proceeded to Laem Sala beach to catch a boat for the next hike - the Phraya Nakhon Cave. There is another way to the cave through the Tian Mountains, but after considering two hikes in a day, it would be best not to have a third one. The hike is another steep one of 430 meters, which roughly took us an hour. This trail is a properly marked one and there was actually no need for a guide, although we were persuaded into having one.

 

The main feature of the cave is this royal pavilion built to honor a king. At any other time, it would have been any ordinary pavilion. But at the specific timing of 10.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m, the pavilion transforms into a magical sight when the sunlight illuminated the entire pavilion from a sinkhole in the cave directly above the pavilion. We were very fortunate to have made it in time for the transformation, although I was panting even harder climbing up here than the first one.

After doing two hikes in the span of a few hours, logically we should have headed back to the hotel for some rest. But the friend had one more location to visit and have been very insistent on getting there. Our poor reluctant driver had no choice but to drive us another 30 minutes to the Thung Sam Roi Yot Freshwater Marsh. Boy, was I glad that she persisted!

The view was absolutely stunning! With the mountain peaks to the back and the marsh in front, the walk on the wooden platforms gave a whole new different perspective. What have I been missing out all this while? I couldn't keep my eyes off the landscape. It was so much better than the pictures.

We were so reluctant to leave the marsh. If not for being extremely tired from our morning adventures, we would definitely have lingered for a little bit longer. Just how often do you come across such splendid views?

Next up - Thailand - Part III : Khao Yai

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