Ayuthaya

Ayuthaya, a former capital of Siam, is just 1 hour north of Bangkok- perfect for a day trip with friends.

Sick of wans and taxis and buses, we decided to take the train. It added 1 hour to our journey but it only cost 15 baht or 50 cents. The ride up was uneventful. And so was the ride down. I like trains.

Ayuthaya was severely affected by the flood. The town was submerged in 3 meters of rancid, flood water for several weeks. Thailand's precious ruins from the 14th century took a beating. But I can confidently say that the temples and palaces are still standing and still are breath-taking. On bikes, (oh yes, I am a whole new person now!) we toured around the old city. Debris and trash were piled on the sides of the road but efforts were made to clean the ruin sites. The ancient temples were lined with aging Buddhas, grass covered the sides of the palaces, and young trees embraced the once prominent statues.

The temperature has been on the rise here in Thailand (moving from 85 degrees to about 100 degrees) so us girls took frequent ice cream and coconut breaks in the shade in between ancient ruin visits. We concluded our trip in Ayuthaya with dinner at the night market along the river. I ate garlic chicken with rice (obviously) and suplurged for a Pepsi. Total cost of the meal, 60 baht or 2 dollars. My inexpensive trip made me feel a lot better about my shopping binge the next day at the Weekend Market.