Cycling the ruins of Ayuthaya

Ayuthaya, 50 miles north of Bangkok, was the capital of Siam from 1350 until it was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767. At it's height in the 1700s the city had an estimated population of 1 million, and was possibly the most populous city in the world.

Ayuthaya never recovered after it was destroyed. The capital was moved to Bangkok, and King Rama I ordered all the bricks of Ayuthaya (sparing the temples) be used to build his new city.

We spent a day biking through the old temple district. We saw 8 Wats (Priscilla says 7: one was technically a Viharn). The ruins are crumbling piles of bricks; the stucco has mostly worn away and the wooden buildings are long since gone. Broken Buddha statues shade beneath bodhi trees, bats inhabit the tilting stupas, and if you look closely you can find faded murals.

There are a few new/active temples we visited, including one full of rooster statues honoring King Naresuan (as a prince held hostage in Burma he won a cockfight against the Burmese prince). We also saw a floating market with cultural show (martial artists).

On the train north to Phitsanulok to see Sukhothai, another ancient Thai capital. The trains are great, Thailand's tourist infrastructure is really impressive. Railway staff specifically seek out tourists to make sure they make the right trains.

-Peter