This weekend, I went along with some of the teachers from California and two Thai teachers they knew from back home to visit the ancient city of Ayutthaya. It was the former capital from 1350 - 1767 (when it was destroyed by the Burmese army), after which the capital was moved to Bangkok. Ayutthaya is about an hour and a half from where I live in Bangkok.
I was really excited, firstly, about the prospect of riding elephants there but by the time we got there and I watched all of the tricks they made them do and saw how malnourished they looked - I didn't have the heart for it. I've never considered myself an overly sensitive person, but I almost stated crying when the Thai teachers asked me if I wanted to go ride one.
One of the malnourished-looking elephants...
The elephant that made me cry...
After the elephants, we went and visited a number of ancient Wats...they were all absolutely breathtaking, so I'll leave you with some of my favorites from the day...
Me & some of the girls as we first set out to Ayutthaya
Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit - one of the largest Buddhas in Thailand; it stands 55.6 feet high!
I barely even look like myself in this picture...the flower is from the trees at the Wat and is supposed to be good luck
The Reclining Buddha, located at the Wat Yai Chaimongkhon
Longer view of the Reclining Buddha
Taken at the same Wat Yai Chaimongkhon
Taken at the same Wat Yai Chaimongkhon
Wat Chai Watthanaram
This was also taken at the Wat Chai Watthanaram
Also at the Wat Chai Watthanaram
The Wat Chai Watthanaram at sunset
And that's all she wrote...see you next time!
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4 comments:
the pics are very cool. sorry to hear about the elephants. i probably woulda cried too.
Such beautiful, exotic places. I am living vicariously through your pictures. Thank you for writing. I missed a couple of posts due to lack of internet, but it feels good to be all caught up and to see that you are having some better experiences. I am sorry about you being sick, I hope your tonsils are now better.
Beautiful! And the architecture is okay too
What is a wat? Is it like a temple? Very pretty, by the way. I'm at work right now with nothing to do, so I thought I'd read through your blog. Sounds like you're in for some awesome adventures over the next year! I'm slightly jealous. Good luck babe!
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