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| Mo Chit bus station, Bangkok |
After some relax time in Bangkok, we were now headed to the Khao Yai National Park, about 175 km north-east.
Our first challenge was to find the correct bus out of Bangkok.
We managed to get a tuk tuk to take us the 25
km or so from our hotel to Bangkok's Mo Chit bus station. But once there, we
discovered we were at the wrong part of this enormous station.
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| Songthaew |
Finally, we found our way to the right bus
about 1 km away, paid our 180 baht each (about NZ$7.70) and were on our way.
Several hours later, we arrived in the small but busy town of Pak Chong, the gateway town to the Khao Yai National Park, Thailand’s first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
At the Pak Chong bus station, and after more asking around and gesticulation, we
found ourselves on a songthaew, heading to our hotel.
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| Leigh at Khao Yai Cottage |
A songthaew is an open pick-up truck with
seats in the back so that it serves as the local bus.
After a breezy forty-minute ride around the
back streets of Pak Chong with the locals and their fruit, veges and live
chickens, we finally arrived at our accommodation, the Khao Yai Cottage, close to the National Park.
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| Marg in her tick-sox |
We had booked a guide to take us through the
Park and its ancient rainforest, in search on some of Khao Yai’s many animals,
invertebrates and birds.
We were also hoping to see elephants in the
wild.
After donning our tick-sox, we walked through the Park, seeing many huge alligators, heaps of monkeys, unusual lizards, tree growths and
tons of beautiful birds.
Sadly, we didn’t see elephants.
No matter; we loved it, notwithstanding the
heat.
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| Gibbon monkey |
A highlight was seeing the gibbon monkeys.
They live in the canopy of the jungle and move fast, making it very hard to
spot them among the thick foliage.
But if you watch carefully, they can be seen
making huge leaps or swinging, from tree to tree.
Our next stop was further north at Ayutthaya,
the old capital of Thailand (or Siam as it was then).
So, we songthaewed our way back to Pak Chong, then
caught a train west.
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| Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya (UNESCO) |
As this ancient town sits on an island, we had to catch a
little ferry boat to the main township.
Reaching the main street, we found a place to
stash our suitcases.
We then headed off to find a tuk tuk driver who would give us
a tour of the ancient ruins of Ayutthaya, which is a UNESCO World Heritage
site.
Driver found and a good baht rate negotiated,
we headed off in the humid 36 degree heat.
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| Buddha in the bodhi tree |
These ruins are amazing, with the original site
dating back to the 14th century.
Much of it was destroyed by the Burmese when
they raided Siam in 1776.
While at the Wat Mahathat, we found the famous
Buddha in a bodhi tree.
It is said that Buddha achieved spiritual
enlightenment while sitting under a bodhi tree, so these trees are revered by
Buddhists.
This bodhi is extra special because there is a
stone carving of a Buddha head nestled in its sinewy roots. How it got there it seems, is a bit of a
mystery.
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| Huge gilded Buddha at Phra Mongthon Bopohit (UNESCO) |
One story is that the head is probably off one
of the many Buddha statues in the area that were destroyed by the Burmese when
they sacked Siam.
It is believed that the tree grew around the
Buddha head during the period when the temple lay abandoned and overgrown.
Opposite Wat Mahathat, we saw the remains of
Wat Ratburana, and then our next stop was Phra Mongthon Bopohit, a
UNESCO site.
This interesting site has a pagoda
that houses a huge bronze Buddha statue that has been gilded.
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| Giant reclining Buddha |
Tuk tuking along and looking at the many
interesting ruins, we came across an astonishing site – a giant reclining
Buddha.
This statue of Buddha lying down, is in Wat
Lokaayasutharam.
It’s 42 metres long and 8 metres high.
Trundling along we saw many other wats and ruins.
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| Wat Prha Men |
These included the three-chedis of Wat Sanphet, which sit in a lovely park with lakes and bridges.
The three chedis contain the ashes of three early kings of Ayutthaya from the second half of the 15th century.
Wat Na Phra Men, an early 16th century Wat from the time of King Ramathibodi II was the only temple not to be destroyed by the Burmese.
There was so much to see, and we had really enjoyed the history of this place. However, after several hours, we decided we needed to get going. We picked up our suitcases, and headed back across the river to the train station.
We were planning an overnight train ride to Chang Mai, our next stop.