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I met a man from the center of the universe and his name was Vic. Actually, we met a couple tonight at dinner and while I’m not so sure about the center of the universe part, they were altogether lovely and wonderful to talk to over our meal. I had my heart set on Italian for dinner tonight, but the one place we found online apparently didn’t exist and then option #2 was both too fancy for the way we were dressed and was also closed. Our tuk tuk driver suggested a place instead and we found ourselves on a beautiful outdoor patio, right by the river, eating the best Thai food that we have had yet (cashew chicken for me, crispy chicken basil for Aaron – and our rice came in the shape of a turtle). While we were eating, a couple sat down at the table next to us, and since they had their cameras out, Aaron offered to take a photo for them. It was the start of a really nice conversation. They are here from England on a cooking adventure.
This morning was another early one for me (5:30), but it actually worked out really well because we knew we wanted to start our day early. We had a quick breakfast on the patio at 7:00 and then were off for the day by 7:30. The main goal of the day was to make it back to Wat Chairattaranam the instant it opened, before any tour buses arrived and we succeeded. We had a solid 1/2 hour of just the two of us and the Wat. It was just as beautiful this morning as it was last night, and we got to take our time exploring and photographing without any other tourists. It was amazing! I had mentioned yesterday that we just wanted to sit and soak and we did just that – both figuratively and literally. It seems like the humidity is at its worst first thing in the morning and we were a little moist as we took in all of the details. If you ever make it to Ayutthaya, and you have the opportunity to do only one thing, visit this wat. It looks like it is straight out of Indiana Jones. It is intact enough that you can imagine it’s former glory, but ruined enough to make it interesting to us. Beautiful Buddhas meet you coming off the river, a giant walkway and gate greet you from the other side. There are so many intricate details, still intact from 400 years ago. The lawn and grounds are kept immaculately, so while we loved the other wats we saw, they seemed a little haphazard while this one just looked purposeful in its design.
Today was our last full day in Ayutthaya and we really wanted to take advantage of our time, so we decided we would try to ride elephants today as well. It was a once in a lifetime experience and a little bit terrifying (even Aaron admitted to being a little intimidated). We arrived at the elephant park and first saw these two younger elephants that you could pay 50 baht to feed a basket of vegetables (so Aaron did). Adorable. There were so many little Thai kids all over the park and we just melted each time we saw one. Aaron mentioned wishing we could take one home and then quickly realized that we are. 🙂 We were both a little nervous as we walked up the “elephant ladder” to climb on an elephant for the first time and oh my goodness, it was scary. There is a “driver” that comes to pick you up with his elephant and you just step on and sit down… and this little seat… that is attached by a single rope to the elephant… and you’re about 12 feet off the ground… going through traffic… did I mention on an elephant? It was definitely a bumpy ride, but it was AMAZING and once we realized we weren’t going to die or break any bones, it was a really enjoyable experience. I’m so glad we did it! I just wish we could take Ty back there. The elephant accepted 100 baht tips with his snotty trunk, grabbing it right out of your hand. We went on about a 15 minute ride that took us by a ruined wat and it was just an incredible experience. Something we will never forget.
At this point in the day, it was about 10:30 and we figured we couldn’t get any more disgusting from the heat, so we tackled one more wat that we were hoping to see, Wat Yai. It is the only one that we saw that still functions as a temple, so we got to see lots of monks, and lots of people, praying and bringing their offerings. Each removes their shoes (and by the way – so many flip flops and sandals), before entering. It’s a little confusing to us, who exactly they are praying to. There were probably 20 Buddhas just in that room, not to mention the 100’s? that were all around the grounds. It’s a really beautiful complex with another (clothed) reclining Buddha (not as big as the first), and lots of rows of yellow fabric draped Buddhas surrounding the wall. I think it is also one of the largest in the area. This one actually allowed you to climb and explore everything, so it was a new experience for us.
By 12:00, we had finished seeing everything we wanted to, so we made our way back to the hotel to spend some time in the pool, grab a Thai ice tea, and relax in our room. We had an early dinner, and are just wrapping up stories and photos before we head to bed. I’m not sure if it is the heat, our sleeping being off, or our busy days, but my body is feeling exhausted tonight. I’m hoping to be in bed before 9:00 and then have the morning to relax and pack up. Tonight is our last night at Iudia and then we head into Bangkok tomorrow. I am really going to miss it here. It has been so peaceful and quiet – a much needed few days before we dive into the bustling city and parenthood. I don’t know how, but each day seems to be better than the day before it. We are so grateful to have had this time together, learning and exploring as much as we can so that we can one day share it all with Ty.
3 more days until we meet him!
Few more ramblings from yesterday – just things I don’t want to forget.
We saw a completely different view of an elephant yesterday from the top. It was interesting to say the least, but we really noticed the rough, scratchy texture of his skin and hair as our legs brushed against his back.
There is a school just a little ways down the river from us and we hear kids outside playing and laughing throughout the day. It’s wonderful.
We have used a whole lot of tuk tuks to get around Ayutthaya and it’s been a great experience. To get almost anywhere in the city, it costs about 60 – 100 baht which is about $2 – $3. Meals have been around $10. Breakfast is included at our hotel and we just snack on things we brought instead of eating lunch, so our days are super inexpensive, even with all of the sights we’ve been seeing.
7-11’s are all over the place here. Aaron went out to see if he could find some snacks last night and discovered that our beloved Magnum ice cream bars are here (we first found them in Scotland, but we are starting to see them at home too). We have been going through bottles of water like crazy and discovered you can get one at the 7-11 for about $.20.
The weather yesterday started out rough, super hot and muggy, but the afternoon brought a few cracks of thunder and the evening was absolutely beautiful with a bit cooler temperatures for us to enjoy our dinner out.
They started decorating the hotel last night with yellow lanterns hanging in the trees and stings of twinkle lights – I assume for Loy Krathong. It looks beautiful.
