Some more photo candy from our trip through the old city, enjoy.

Just 2 hours north of Bangkok by train, the ancient capital city of Ayutthaya sits in a hot, dusty valley with two major rivers flowing through it.  In fact the city proper is actually an island between these two rivers with only a handful of bridges and ferries crossing over them.  There’s almost 700 years of history in this city, Thailand’s old capital fortress, and the ruins and restored temples share this story with anyone curious enough to venture inside.  It was sacked and looted so many times by Burma and Laos that by the 18th century the king was fed up and moved shop down to Bangkok.   Thankfully there is still plenty left to look at and photograph, including some absolutely stunning wats and chedi’s (stupas).

We stayed here only 2 nights and 3 days, although as a tourist it isn’t really practical to spend much longer.  Temples and ruins, like I mentioned, are the prime attractions here and after looking at 20 or 30 it’s time to move on.  The city itself, however, is vibrant and bustling and has much to offer the traveler who’s interested in more than the history of the area.  Our first day we explored most of the city proper on foot, covering a dozen kilometers and a dozen temples in an afternoon.  Most of the temples here were built of brick and a mortar covering.  As we explored their ruins, the structures ranged from massive piles of brick to perfectly preserved steeples and arches and domes.  We wandered in and out of different crumbling landscapes, stumbling upon herds of grazing cattle, couples sleeping in the shade of the chedis, street dogs patrolling their territories, and other hidden treasures of the unknown.  Towards the end of the day we found ourselves walking into an elephant camp, where around two dozen elephants and their riders hung out, waiting to give rides to tourists through the city ruins.  Instead of riding them, we contented ourselves to loitering with them and taking photos.

The following day we rented bikes to take us to the outer reaches of the city and its most impressive temples.  Navigating the chaos of Thailand’s streets is daunting on a bicycle.  There is a distinct hierarchy in place on the road, with the most fragile and destructible at the bottom of the totem pole.  Essentially, the more vulnerable you are, the more attentive you must be (if you value your life).  Bikes are just pedestrians moving precariously closer to traffic in a seated position.  Nevertheless, we survived and had a blast.  One temple we visited on the outskirts of town was pretty in its own right, but what fascinated me the most by it was a tree out back.  It was a Bodhi tree, with a massive, twisting, tentacle-like trunk completely encompassing a small chedi and a statue on it.  All you can see of the statue is its face barely emerging from the roots.  Another temple even further from town was equally rewarding to visit.  The temple was a massive stone chedi about 60 meters tall with a small complex of ruins surrounding it.  Cows and horses were tied strategically to trees around the temple such that they could graze sections of the lawn, creating a living lawn mowing and fertilizing system.  Because of the strict value of all life in the Buddhist tradition, temples are often safe havens and refuges for all kinds of neglected animals, from horses to dogs to chickens and everything in between.  Whenever we visit a temple, there is inevitably some adorable puppy or kitten that claws at my heart strings when I see them.  This time there were 3 puppies, barely 6 weeks old, that decided my arm was interesting and all started licking it in unison.

One of the last temples we saw in Ayutthaya was unique in that it belonged to a sect of Buddhist nuns.  The order of monks in the Theravada Buddhist tradition is male oriented, and while women were explicitly included in the teachings of Buddha, they face many challenges as nuns such as funding for their temples.  This temple is specifically renowned for its hundreds of Buddha statues that are wrapped in saffron scarves, creating a mystical and colorful atmosphere throughout the complex.  We ditched our bike at the gate and spent the last slivers of daylight exploring the crumbling relics before making the trip back home to our guest house.  It was around this time that Jennifer got hit with her first dose of Delhi Belly, aka Montezuma’s Revenge, aka food poisoning, so we peddled home fast.  At one point we managed to get ourselves onto an expressway with barely any shoulder to bike on, then again we found ourselves on another major thoroughfare on the wrong side of the road.  It was a miracle we made it back alive through the dark, but all I had to do was keep up with Jennifer as she tore through the city like a bat out of hell.  Later that night her stomach was feeling better…

The last day in Ayutthaya was pleasantly lazy and spent mostly in the shade for a change.  We arranged an overnight sleeper train to the north of Thailand that night and loitered in one of the few backpacker cafes along a quiet side street in town.  Tony’s Place as it was called, was run by a flamboyantly gay Thai who was everywhere when you didn’t need anything and nowhere in sight when you did.  The slow service allowed us to take in some good people watching however.  Later in the afternoon, as our departure to Chiang Mai in the North was approaching, we moved all our gear to the train station and had some dinner.  After sitting down and ordering some food, we noticed a gentleman sitting next to us munching contentedly on a bag of indiscernible contents.  He noticed us watching him with inquisitive eyes, so he turned around and pulled out a monstrous barbequed grasshopper and offered one to each of us.  The taste was mild, like a dusty stale cracker, and the crunchy texture was like biting into a huge sunflower seed with the shell and all.  I’m sure I made a horrible face as I choked it down, yet he still offered me more.  After Jennifer nearly gagged eating hers, he understood.  It was worth trying, but never to be repeated.

The train pulled in about 30 minutes late, which is a miracle by Thai train standards.  We purchased a couple liters of cheap beer and a bag full of snacks for the 13 hour trip, hopped on, found our beds, and began the next leg of our journey through Thailand.

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya or Ayutthaya in short, is one of Thailand’s historical and majestic highlights. Serving as the Thai capital for 417 years (1350 1767: Kingdom of Ayutthaya), it was once glorified as one of the biggest cities in Southeast Asia. During the 17th century, most foreign visitors to Ayutthaya, traders or diplomats alike, claimed Ayutthaya to be the most illustrious and glittering city that they had ever visited. The map of Ayutthaya published in 1691 by Simon de la Loubere in Du Royaume De Siam is proof of such recognition.

The Kingdom of Ayutthaya reached its apex in terms of sovereignty, military might, wealth, culture, and international commerce in the 16th century when the Kingdoms territory was extended far beyond present-day Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Ayutthaya even had diplomatic relations with Louis XIV of France and was courted by Dutch, Portuguese, English, Chinese and Japanese merchants.

Visitors can explore and appreciate Thai history in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, which is situated only 86 kilometers north of Bangkok. Visitors to Ayutthaya can marvel at its grandeur reflected through numerous magnificent structures and ruins concentrated in and around the city island surrounded by Maenam Chao Phraya, Maenam Pa Sak and Maenam Lopburi.

More importantly,Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park, an extensive historical site in the heart of Ayutthaya city, has been included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list since 13 December, 1991.

The Past

The Kingdom of Ayutthaya was built and developed in leaps and bounds. The ruins in Ayutthaya that survived the test of time embody both the glorious and ignominious stories of the Kingdom.

This ancient capital of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, founded in 1350 by King U-Thong, had thirty three kings of different dynasties and reached its peak in the middle of the18th century. A magnificent city with three palaces and over 400 magnificent temples on an island threaded by canals Ayutthaya was truly an impressive city that attracted both Europeans and Asians. After a 15-month siege the Kingdom of Ayutthaya was conquered and completely destroyed by the Burmese in 1767. When King Taksin the Great finally liberated the Kingdom, a new dynasty was established and the capital was moved to Thonburi.

The seal of Ayutthaya depicts a conch on a pedestal tray placed in a small castle under a Mun tree. According to legend, King U-Thong, founder of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, discovered a beautiful conch buried in the ground being prepared for the establishment of the seat of his Kingdom. Consequently, he had a tiny castle built to house the shell. Hence, the provincial seal.

The Present

Today, there are but groups of crumbling ruins and rows of headless Buddhas where once an empire thrived. The temple compounds are still awe-inspiring even in disrepair and a visit here is memorable and a good beginning for those drawn to the relics of history.

The architecture of Ayutthaya is a fascinating mix of Khmer (ancient Cambodian style) and early Sukhothai style. Some cactus-shaped obelisks, called prangs, denote Khmer influence and look something like the famous towers of Angkor Wat. The more pointed stupas are ascribed to the Sukhothai influence. For new arrivals who had limited their visit to Bangkok, similarities may be noted with the riverside Wat Arun, an 18th-century structure that was built in the so-called Ayutthaya style, a melding of Sukhothai Buddhist influences and Hindu-inspired Khmer motifs.

Ayutthaya is administratively divided into 16 districts: Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ban Phraek, Bang Ban, Bang Pahan, Bang Pa-in, Amphoe Bang Sai, Bang Sai, Lat Bua Luang, Maha Rat, Nakhon Luang, Phachi, Phak-Hai, Sena, Tha Rua, Uthai and Wang Noi.

Source: TAT

Book your Thailand hotels and Thailand resorts accommodation

Deals & Discounts for all Thailand hotels and resorts reservations from Luxury Hotels to Budget Accommodations.

The easiest and fastest way to find your hotels and resorts accommodation in Thailand. Special promotion Thailand hotels and resorts up to 75% off, instant confirmation. Find and book your hotels and resorts accommodation in Thailand with us!. Get best room rates and great deals!

Après quelques hésitations nous avons décidé de faire les 4 heures de route en taxi-minivan que nous avons partagé avec Rémi et Virginie rencontrés la veille. Total pour la route à 8 et tous les bagages : 2200 Baths.

Nous sommes arrivés à l’hôtel vers midi sous un soleil de plomb, 32 degrés à l’ombre. Nous avions réservé au Luang Chumni Village, deux chambres communicantes dans un bungalow traditionnel thaï (la salle de bain est à l’étage inférieur, les chambres au dessus). Un vrai bel endroit ! Un de mes préférés jusqu’ici, avec des hôtes exceptionnellement gentils. Le cadre était parfait avec patio privé et couvert. Une grande table basse a permis aux enfants de faire leurs devoirs dans de bonnes conditions. Et le petit déjeuner, FORMIDABLE !!! Gargantuesque et délicieux : toasts à la confiture, assiette de fruits frais (banane, ananas, fruit du dragon), 2 œufs, corn flakes, lait, café. Un régal !

Après-midi reposante et studieuse, puis petit tour dans le quartier où l’on a croisé au détour d’un parc, un cours de tai-chi.

Puis on est rentré par le marché de nuit où nous avons fait des petites courses au marché pour le diner du soir : Pastèque, gros pamplemousse chinois, gros litchis à première vue pas trop ragoutants, sorte d’oursins roses … une fois épluchés ça a le gout du litchi, mais le noyau a une grosse peau très difficile à ôter.

I went to Ayutthaya this weekend. Ayutthata (พระนครศรีอยุธยา) is the ancient capital of Thailand when it was known as Siam. Like Bangkok it is on the Chao Phraya River. I took an hour’s river cruise which was good for photography as well as enjoyable in the cooling breeze. The weather is excellent now. When the Thai people start to say it is cold (“now!”) then I know it’s just the right temperature for me.

There’s a bit more information about Ayutthaya on Wikipedia here. Ayutthaya is also the name of a province. There’s a lot of industry in Ayutthaya province so it is quite a diversified place. The city is an easy hour’s drive from Bangkok.

Here’s a link to a big slide show on my Google Site. It has pictures from Picasa Web.

Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There’s some information about its status here. The Thai Government has invested in improving the city and its attractions to keep that status. Since I last visited in 2007 they built a large Visitors’ Centre. However it was deserted when I was there.

I saw few foreign tourists but many Thai people. That was good as the prices are reasonable for Thai people and the people are friendly. Immediately a tour bus pulls up the prices go up and the attitude goes down. Such is life.

There are four other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Thailand:

I confess I have not been to them. I should make the effort.

Got into Bangkok last night around 6p. Coincidentally, I was on the same flight as my uncle who was headed back to Manila. Ronnie and her friend picked me up from the airport and we headed to Thanon Kaosan for dinner. Ate Mediterranean food with Anna then headed to Mahidol where Ronnie is studying.

This morning I am going to the Ayutthaya with some of her program mates, including the director. Her name is Pii-Be. And I’m J.

Thousands of stargazers across Asia stayed awake overnight to catch a glimpse of what was advertised as an intense Leonid meteor shower, but the show fizzled rather than sizzled for many because of cloudy conditions.

One group of about 30 amateur Indian astronomers saw the meteors light up the sky at the Siriska wildlife sanctuary, about 95 miles (150 kilometers) south of New Delhi — counting 78 during a four-hour period.

“There was no moon in the sky, which is good for observation,” said Yogeshwar Kanu Aggarwal, a member of the Space Science Popularization Association of Communications and Educators. “We could see flashes of light for almost 10 seconds.”

Leonid meteors are bits of debris from the Comet Tempel-Tuttle and were named after the constellation Leo, from which they appear to originate. NASA scientists had projected there would be up to 300 raining down every hour, compared to a typical night when there are about eight an hour.

Night owls in Manila, however, were left staring at the lights of passing airplanes because of cloudy conditions. More than 1,000 Thais who camped out in a parking lot on the outskirts of Bangkok had better luck, spotting 52 over several hours.

“The sky was clear and there were many meteors around 4 a.m.,” said Suranand Supawannakij, director of the Science Center for Education in Rangsit, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Bangkok. “They came from many directions. I am always excited seeing a meteor shower.”

The Leonid meteors travel at 156,000 miles (251,000 kilometers) per hour. They consist mostly of dust and ice, and evaporate long before they reach the ground, so “you can go outside and watch the Leonid meteor shower without worrying about getting whacked on the head,” said scientist Bill Cooke of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office.

When a Leonid meteor storm was first observed in 1833, Cooke said it must have seemed like something out of the apocalyptic saga “2012.” More than 30,000 meteors an hour rained down on an unsuspecting public, sparking panic and fears of the end of the world, he said.

“They were seeing 10 meteors per second all over the sky,” he said. “You read newspaper accounts and robbers were returning what they stole because they wanted to be right with God. People were praying in churches, in their yards.”

This time around, the meteor shower was greeted with the oohs and ahhs that one hears at fireworks displays rather than screeches of fear.

“I’ve seen meteors before but this was different,” said Akradech Lekkla, a 39-year-old taxi driver who joined several whiskey-drinking Thais in Ayutthaya, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Bangkok.

“It looked like it was raining meteors,” he said. “They came in so quick that if you didn’t pay attention you missed them.”

In India, a cloudy sky disappointed thousands of stargazers in Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Pawan Sharma, a 36-year-old photographer, could only spot meteors, one of them big enough to be seen streaking across the sky in a window between the clouds.

“It was a momentary thing. It was so disappointing,” he said.

In Nepal, cloud and fog cover over much of the Himalayan nation blocked views of the meteors.

Jayanta Acharya, astronomy professor at Katmandu’s Tribhuwan University, said he woke up early to view the meteor shower from the rooftop of his house.

“It was a big event for us and we are all disappointed to have missed it,” Acharya said.

Continua il racconto di Carlo da travelblogs.it

Ayutthaya [Thailand] | 2009-10-05

Ayutthaya è la ex capitale thailandese ed è stata rasa al suolo e saccheggiata da diversi paesi tra cui la Birmania molto tempo fa. Attualmente delle sue rovine resta veramente poco. Sono arrivato alle ultime luci del 2 ottobre ed al primo impatto, vista dal bus, mi ha deluso moltissimo.
Mi fiondo senza troppi scrupoli ad una guesthouse consigliata dalla Lonely… è rimasta solo una stanza deluxe con aria condizionata, tv, frigo, letto triplo se non quadruplo e doccia con acqua calda. Costa 500 Bath, cioè una dozzina di euro e la cosa mi scoccia parecchio visto che avevo previsto di spenderne meno della metà. Ci rimango solo una notte e quindi vada, non ho voglia di stare in giro a cercare troppo e soprattutto ho una fame da lupi. A proposito di lupi. Questa città è abitata da branchi di cani di taglia medio grossa che difendono il loro territorio… voi non potete immaginare quanti ce ne siano. Dopo una cena bella incazzosa a base di Pad Thai e seguita da patatine fritte, mi scolo una mezza di birra chiara e mi fiondo nella città per vederne le rovine di notte. La città è pressoché deserta se non per qualche locale che attira turisti  e thailandesi a bere. L’idea è quella di camminare per una decina di kilometri attorno a tutta la città che… è accerchiata da un fiume! Qui infatti si fondono due fiumi importanti (dai nomi ovviamente assurdi) e la città alla fine si trasforma in un isola! Guardate la mappa per credere. Da un lato è un peccato che le rovine non siano illuminate dall’altro invece è incantevole. La luce della luna rende il paesaggio di un suggestivo che è inimmaginabile.

Io ho fatto solo un paio di fotografie perché la luce è veramente poca ma credetemi ad occhio nudo nella notte è assurdo vedere queste rovine antiche. I cancelli sono aperti ed entro grazie ad un moto-taxi. Un ragazzo infatti si ferma per la strada e mi offre per 10 Bath, cioè 20 centesimi di euro, di portarmi in giro. Io mi guardo attorno e vedo una cosa tipo 20 pittbull che si leccano i baffi e mi guardano. Allora guardo il ragazzo e gli dico “Yes, Go!”. Mi ritrovo sullo scooter nella notte deserta di questa città incantevole che per pura fortuna oggi è graziata dalla luce della luna. Shin Schon o come diavolo si chiama mi spiega in thailandese (quindi potrei non aver capito una mazza) che ha 3 figli ed una donna che gli chiede sempre soldi… “money money!” allora io visto che ho imparato rispondo “aaaa eeee uuu!”. Spero di aver capito male comunque mi offre una sigaretta fatta con tabacco alla menta e me la fumo davanti ad un grosso Buddha sdraiato. Faccio giusto un paio di tiri per paura di avere qualche sorpresa tra un filo di tabacco e l’altro e continuiamo il giro per le rovine. E’ stato un bene trovare Shin, molte delle rovine per essere raggiunte sono abitate da cani che spesso girano in branco e andando a piedi devi passare per forza per il loro territorio: è dannatamente pericoloso, sono grossi. Un giapponese è stato morso per il semplice fatto di non aver mantenuto le distanze. Se non fosse  stato per Shin avrei potuto provvedere a recuperare una lattina vuota riempendola con un paio di sassi. Ricordo che da qualche parte avevo letto che in questo modo scuotendola, il suono spaventa i cani e quindi scappano. Il punto è che se ho letto una minchiata e la lattina in thailandese li fa solo incazzare… mi sbranano ahah!
Adesso sono tornato in camera, domani darò ancora un’occhiata e dopo mi dirigerò verso Lopburi, e lì sì che c’è da ridere. Scimmie in città!!!

Zdjecia z Ayutthaya, oddalonej zaledwie poltora godziny od Bangkoku. Dzis bedzie bez komentarza.

Pictures from Ayutthaya.

376222     วรรณคดีสมัยกรุงศรีอยุธยา     Literature of the Ayutthaya Period

วรรณคดีสมัยกรุงศรีอยุธยาเลือกศึกษาเฉพาะบางเรื่องที่สำคัญโดยละเอียด

(Selected major literary works of the Ayutthaya Period.)

(376222 มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์)

Mình không giỏi lịch sử, trí nhớ cũng kém nên chả thể kể được gì nhiều về cái xử Ayutthaya. Chỉ biết là nó là kinh đô cũ của Thái, dưới thời vua U-Thong và bị quân Miến tàn phá nhiều vào năm 1767 [cái năm là nhờ trên wiki á chứ hông có giỏi giang gì đâu]. Ayutthaya cũng là một quần thể các kiến trúc đền, chùa, tháp giông giống kiểu Angor ; cũng được Unesco công nhận là Di Sản Thế giới nhưng dĩ nhiên là không hoành tráng, không đẹp bằng Angor Wat…hehe… Ai mún biết thêm về lịch sử thì chịu khó Google hoặc nếu có đi Thái thì nhớ đi thăm National Museum ở BKK, giá vé là 300bath/người hen. Mặc dù giá vé vào cổng Bảo Tàng hơi cao nhưng mà đáng xem lắm nha, có nhiều mô hình miêu tả lại các trận đánh; rùi thì có cả khu trưng bày các sản phẩm thủ công mỹ nghệ truyền thống như sơn mài [siêu đẹp], quần áo của vua chúa [pattern đẹp khỏi chê], đồ trang sức; hoành tráng nhất là khu trưng bày các xe tang của hoàng gia, cái này đã lắm, mấy cái kiệu, cái xe đó đến giờ vẫn còn sử dụng á. Vì bảo tàng hông cho chụp hình nên chỉ tả sơ sơ dzị thui, còn ai thích thú thì chịu khó bỏ tiền ra để đi xem người ta làm bảo tàng đáng đồng tiền bát gạo đến thế nào hen

Giờ khoe hình tiếp…

Cái đầu tượng Phật nằm trong gốc cây này có lẽ là được nhiều người biết đến nhất ở Ayutthaya, nằm ở Wat Mahatha.

Có 2 giả thuyết về Buddha in the tree root này như sau:

+ giả thuyết thứ 1: quân Miến khi phá hủy Ayutthaya thì đã chặt các đầu tượng Phật để tiêu diệt tôn giáo của người Xiêm; vô tình ngay tại chỗ chiếc đầu tượng này rớt xuống mọc lên 1 cái cây và ôm trọn lấy đầu tượng vào thân mình.

+ giả thuyết thứ 2 lại cho rằng bọn chuyên trộm tượng Phật đã cưa chiếc đầu này, nhưng do nặng quá chúng không khiêng nổi nên đã bỏ lại đây. Và rồi thời gian trôi qua, cây cối sinh sôi nảy nở và vô tình mọc đúng vào chỗ chiếc đầu tượng rớt xuống.

Hầu hết các tượng Phật ở đây đều bị mất đầu

Cái bức tường này là nơi ở của rất nhiều bạn bồ câu nè. Mà canh chụp cảnh mấy bạn chim bay ra hoài hông được nên thôi chụp đỡ bức tường.

Đây 1 cái đền nữa mà mình không nhớ tên..hehe

Ăn kem ăn kem

2 cây kem nhìn đẹp đẹp dzị chứ ăn hông ngon

Cái tượng Phật này nằm ngay ngoài đường

Rùi, hết hình Ayutthaya rùi đóa…hehe

Erawan Fall 2 // Kanchanaburi, Thailande

Ah ouais, quand même ! Je devais avouer que devant la cascade numéro 7, je me sentais plutôt petit. J’avais beau me reculer, mon Sony R1 avait du mal à capturer l’ensemble de la chute dans toute sa grandeur. Les wouaou et it’s really beautiful s’étaient succédés tout au long de l’ascension. Les différentes tonalités de bleu, jaune et vert étaient vraiment magnifiques malgré la grisaille persistante et une petite baignade dans la numéro 2 était un pur bonheur de rafraîchissement. J’avais beau me plaindre à chaque fois que je traversais un endroit touristique, je devais reconnaître que certains lieux étaient des passages obligés. Erawan Falls en faisait largement partie. Mouais… En comparaison, le pont de la Rivière Kwai n’était pas des plus impressionnant malgré une histoire intense.

Il faisait chaud et le soleil était haut dans le ciel sans nuage. Je plissais les yeux afin de concentrer ma vision sur une chose se déplaçant lentement mais sûrement sur le trottoir, obligeant les passants à se pousser. Après m’être rapprocher d’une centaine de mètres, je pouvais maintenant confirmer qu’un éléphant marchait tranquillement dans le centre ville d’Ayutthaya. Mon excitation était vite retombée lorsque je constatais qu’un couple de touristes se trouvait sur le dos de l’animal, profitant d’un tour organisé. Dans certaines villes ils utilisaient des calèches. A Ayutthaya, ils préféraient les éléphants.

Ayutthaya n’est pas une ville dans laquelle on peut s’éterniser. Un ou deux jours sont amplement suffisant. Et pour se loger, il ne faut pas chercher plus loin que Bann Kun Pra. Certes, ils n’ont pas besoin de publicité car ils sont très bien référencés dans Lonely Planet; mais Ping et le reste du staff a été tellement attentionné que je ne peux que les recommander. Bien évidemment, l’endroit et super propre et son restaurant au bord de la rivière comblera les couples en quête de romantisme. Bref, j’ai aimé et je voulais le faire savoir.

Erawan Falls // Thailande

Same same but different // Erawan Falls, Thailande

Nageant dans la lumiere // Erawan Falls

Moustiques et bronzage // Erawan Falls

Numero 7 sous la grisaille // Erawan Falls

Le pont de la riviere Kwai // Kanchanaburi

Minivan a Ayutthaya // Thailande

Lien entre Boudha et le reste // Ayutthaya, Thailande

En pleine ville // Ayutthaya

Ombres et lumiere // Ayutthaya

Boudha qui pose // Ayutthaya

Boudha enracine // Ayutthaya

5 jambes // Ayutthaya

Waterproof Metro // Ayutthaya

... afin d'en acheter de nouvelles. // Ayutthaya

452223     ประวัติศาสตร์ไทยสมัยอยุธยา     History of Ayutthaya

สังคม การเมือง เศรษฐกิจ ศิลปะ วัฒนธรรม ความสัมพันธ์กับต่างประเทศ การเสียกรุงทั้งสองครั้ง มีการศึกษานอกสถานที่

(Social, political, economic, art and cultural developments; foreign relations and the two events of the fall of Ayutthaya Field trips.)

(452223 มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์)

Sau khi đã ăn sáng, chúng mình nhảy xe taxi để đi đến skytrain station. Hành trình được tính theo LP như sau: từ skytrain bắt tàu đi đến ga cuối cùng là Mo Chit, xuống tàu tiếp tục hành trình tìm kiếm cái bến xe Mo Chit để kiếm bus đi Ayuthaya. Mà tình hình là sau khi đến được cái chỗ gọi là Mo Chit thì bắt đầu mất phương hướng. Đi mãi, đi mãi, đi mãi, đi rả cả cẳng vẫn không thấy bóng dáng cái Bến Xe ở đâu. Đi vòng vòng , vòng vòng 1 hồi thấy có cái bến xe cũ cũ. Mừng húm mà cũng thấy sợ sợ vì chỉ thấy toàn dân local, thấy bus toàn cũ cũ dơ dơ..hixhix..Chui vào phòng vé hỏi xe đi Ayuthaya thì …may quá…người ta bảo bến xe nằm ở bên kia, còn đây là local bus, chạy gần gần thui. Mừng húm lần nữa và tiếp tục lê 2 cặp giò mỏi nhừ lết tiếp lên cái xe bus đẹp đẽ sạch sẽ để đến với Ayuthaya.

Xe bus dừng trạm cuối cùng ở trên 1 con đường vắng vẻ ít người qua lại. Như dự tính là sẽ thuê xe đạp để đạp đi các đền cho nó “lỡn mỡn” nhưng mà nhìn quanh quất thì chỉ có 1 cái siêu thị 7 Eleven và vài cái Song Thaew [giống xe lam ở VN á]. Rút cuộc vì sự nhiệt tình “minh chứng” bằng đủ thứ các loại giấy tờ cho dịch vụ Song Thaew của 1 bác nhìn rất Harajuku nên chúng mình đã quyết định thuê xe đi cho tiện.

Phát hiện thú vị: đây là nhà của nhà sư ở. Đẹp dze kiu, y như bungalow trong resort hen

Tượng Phật rất đẹp

Nhìn từ trên cao

Thay vì bỏ tiền vào thùng công đức như các chùa ở VN. Chùa của người Thái có 1 dịch vụ khác: mua vàng miếng để dán vào tượng Phật

Còn đây là tượng Phật ngồi bằng vàng. To quá trời to nên không thể nào chụp hết được.

Ngồi chùa này có hơn 80 ngàn tượng Phật bé nhỏ, ở trong mỗi cái ô nho nhỏ là một cái tượng Phật trong đóa đóa

Tình cờ vào đúng lúc ở chùa diễn ra 1 buổi cúng kiếng. Người ta cúng áo vàng cho Phật nhe. Dzui lắm! Bác mặc áo trắng nhận khay áo, rồi quăng lên phía trên tượng Phật, ở đó có sẵn mấy người đứng để chụp lấy tấm vải.

Đây, các anh này sẽ chụp lấy tấm áo và cột lại với nhau thành 1 dây dài

Sau đây, các bác ở trên sẽ chuyền khăn xuống. Mọi người đội khăn lên đầu và đọc 1 bài kinh gì đó.

Các bức tường đều được vẽ nhiều họa tiết , rất tỉ mỉ và đẹp

Cái phòng trưng bày rất nhiều tượng lớn nhỏ

Bên ngoài chùa có 2 dãy chuông, khách đến viếng khua chuông nghe rất vui tai.

Cái này gọi là bon chen

Còn cái này gọi là phá phách

行程終點站: 位於Ayutthaya主島外的Wat Chaiwatthanaram

眼前的小販登車叫賣，坐在悶熱的車廂中，車靠站等候乘客，車動也不動，難怪要前往與曼谷相距80公里的Ayutthaya的車程需時2小時了。一小時之前，我們在曼谷以北的北部車站Northern Central Bus Terminal，付過了每人50 baht的車資，跳上一輛時速70公里的巴士，一直向北走，來到古城。車子又停下來等候乘客了，前面一列巴士似乎在做著相同的動作，敞開車門，然後一列手上拿著飲品、食品、籌款用相冊的小販，在車廂通道上叫賣。多虧泰國的叫賣文化，買就買，不買也罷，沒有咄咄逼人，價錢你情我願，不會刻意抬高價錢要你花精神與他講價。多簡單！

終於到達Ayutthaya了，一群tuktuk司機手拿地圖蜂擁而上，衝到巴士車門前。沒有理會任何司機，一行四人走在路上尋覓租賃自行車的店子，終於找到似乎是租賃單車的小店，並得到了遊客資料。原來店子經營單車團，4人或以上成團，整團歷時3小時，每人收費750 baht。我們覺得價錢偏高，加上身上的現金不足以付款，倒不如向店家問問tuktuk收費如何吧。店子的主人很好客，除了解釋一般tuktuk每小時收費是200baht外，又借洗手間之餘又詳細解釋附近的地理位置。在免費的地圖上劃好座標後，我們找tuktuk先去巴士總站買返回曼谷的車票罷。

上了一輛奔馳電掣的tuktuk，司機的目標應該是把我們倒下車了罷。極速到達巴士站後，天哪，車站職員說no booking！倒是確認了尾班車時間、車費及上車地點（正面思考而已）。

在巴士站找到一位囂張食花生伯伯，還以為他是tuktuk車主，最後他突然找來了自稱為tuktuk two的年輕人。這年輕人的出現令我迷糊了，怎麼突然選擇多了？年輕人大概知道我mai khao jai（不明白），就指著花生伯伯說他是tuktuk one，他自己是tuktuk two…弄清楚價錢和時間後，上車，出發！

要是在出發前已經發掘到這個古城，就可以發掘這些古寺的背景、及對泰國政治、佛教歷史有更好的掌握了。但還是很慶幸Well Done Travel的姐姐詳細地解釋這個古城與我本來計劃前往的古城的分別，使我們沒有前往在曼谷東南面複製版的泰國世界之窗（www.ancientcity.com)，內裡有無數比原本體積比例的三分一的寺和建築群。最完美的行程計劃，在Ayutthaya這裡進行三日遊就最適合不過了。要留意點與點之間有一段距離，如要進行自遊行，可前往遊客警署租自行車進行自由遊，又或者租一輛Tuktuk在城內遊走吧。

首站是Wat Maha that:

以示尊重

Wat Maha that

WAT MAHA THAT佛像頭與大自然融為一體，泰國人認為是好運的意思。

在第二站，tuktuk two似乎找來了tuktuk three，是一名戴黑超老人。經tuktuk two介紹：my father…黑超老人原來是年輕人的父親，我們不知怎的要回來時跟他的車了。

Tuktuk two父親的座駕

老人介紹我們去已有700年歷史的Wat Chaiwatthanaram，位於Ayutthaya主島以外，他說是Ayutthaya no. 1!既然這位本地人極力建議，我們也擱下了時間不夠返回巴士總站的擔心，出發！

黃昏下的寺廟

Niedaleko wejścia do starożytnego miasta w Ayutthaya znajduje się miejsce gdzie można wynająć słonie, na którym przez godzine można zwiedzać Ayutthayę. Taka “mała” przyjemność kosztuje 300 bahtów(ok. 30 złoty) od osoby z tego co zrozumiałem. Jednak jest też coś za free^^ A że ja jako biedny student nie będę wydawać 300 bahtów na słonia, chociaż ubóstwiam słonie, no to poszedłem ze znajomymi na darmowy pokaz słoni. Super sprawa! Brało w nim w sumie udział 6 słoni, od największego słonia który miał 22 lata, po takiego najmłodszego i najmniejszego. Mi by wystarczyło samo patrzenie na te wspaniałe zwierzęta, ale nieee, Tajowie zapewniają lepszą rozrywkę. Począwszy od prezentacji każdego słonia, ktore trabiąj odpowiadały na swatdii krap, thank you, arigato, bye bye,przez  taniec słoni, zabawy hulahop, noszenie człowieka w swojej paszczy, po zabawy z dziećmi. Tyle atrakcji, że ho-ho! Na koniec duży słoń chodził sobie z koszyczkiem i zbierał datki. Ile chcesz tyle wrzucasz, nie chcesz – nie wrzucasz. Ale Tajowie to raczej szczorzy ludzie i wrzucali od 20 do 1000 bahtow! Tak tak ja też wrzuciłem…20 bahtów:P Tak więc za 20b dostałem super pokaz i możliwość pogłaskania słonia po jego…trąbie^^Zapraszam do oglądania zdjęć i filmów na youtubie:D

Zapomniałem dodać, że parę słoni pomalowano tak aby wyglądały jak panda. Dlaczego? A słyszeliście o nowo narodzonej pandzie w Tajlandii? Cały kraj oszalał na punkcie dziecka pandy. Rząd też oszalał i bardziej się interesuje i wspiera pandę niż słonie, dlatego też trenerzy pomalowali słonie na pandy, aby zwrócić uwagę nie tylko zwykłych ludzi, ale też aby zastrajkować w pewien sposób i uświadomić rządowi, że o słonie też trzeba dbać.

(via "Don King," AKA The Beautiful Gina Scribner)

The last three days have been pretty great. We have spent our days at a Buddhist compound, providing English lessons to novice monks. The first time looking out over a class of orange clad monks is a bit intimidating. There all sorts of cultural expectations with monks, for example women can’t touch them or hand them anything and they warrant a special wai (bow), so as a naive farang, there are a lot of possible faux pas that may occur during the lesson. On top of that, it was hard committing to-tic-tac toe, hangman, or some other warmer (like four corners) with contemplative, enlightened ones. It seemed as odd as a college professor walking in the first day and having the class do the hokey pokey. Of course, this was all unnecessary worry. Kids are kids, whether or not they are becoming a religious figure. In fact, the warmer worked. Once we had them moving around, speaking a little, and laughing a lot, things got really comfortable. It was like being in any other classroom. The students were very shy about their English, so it could be tough to get them to speak up (or at all sometimes), but were very good students. Many took notes, put forth full effort during activities, or even sought out further help. During  a lunch break, Cengiz was captured by 35 monks, all crowding around to trade English phrases with him. After class today, I spent 20 minutes just talking to my students who refused to leave. Some wanted specific words, others just wanted a chance to talk, experimenting with subjects as simple as food, or as complicated as where I am from and what my parents do. Appropriately, during breaks we weren’t grabbed by monks, we went searching for them. The interest went both ways and lunches were full of picture taking, playing with puppies, exploring the compound, and buying Popsicles for whoever was hovering around the mobile vendor.

(via "Don King," AKA The Beautiful Gina Scribner)

Cengiz and I agreed, it would be a great place to teach permanently. Both of us provided great lessons and there were aspects of the place and culture that were fantastic. I particularly liked the inclusion of domestic animals as part of the school’s ambiance. During one lesson, a group of 3 kittens came tumbling out of the teacher’s desk. Apparently they had made the right cabinet their homes. While this seemed stop worthy to us, the novices hardly noticed. Except for periodically letting the cats sit on their laps, you wouldn’t have even known there were kittens walking around and nibbling on feet. At one point, one of the roaming puppies also came in the room, resulting in moma cat scratching his head open for getting to close. That was an unavoidable lesson stopper, as the pained screech was ear-splitting.

(via "Don King," AKA The Beautiful Gina Scribner)

Perhaps the best moments of the week were noticing students gathering round your door as the lesson was being taught. Most would just stand, listening and watching. A couple came in and sat down. During a game, I gave extra materials to some of the onlookers, who proceeded to play with conviction. One late addition was one of my best “word police” in the class (I gave out texts and asked questions, provided false statements that had to be corrected, or posed fill in the blank questions). I was shocked to see how competitive these guys got. The ferocity started with the naming, each team clambering to secure their favorite futbal team’s name. As team 2 (aka Man U.) took a commanding lead (points were awarded for right answers), I noticed other groups physically getting closer and closer to the paper, determined to win the next point. Cengiz, in his best Paulie stance (right out of Sopranos), had the entire class greeting each other with excitement. As a result,”Hi my name is…” became a standard part of their repertoire and could be heard just walking around the halls. Perhaps the highlight for myself was a monk dance party that we got started with today. They mastered “the sprinkler,” my best disco moves, “the lawnmower,” and just loved a Chuck Berry worthy twist. Seeing monks dancing in a circle is a must add to the bucket list for any not yet fortunate enough to catch it.

As I write this, Cengiz and I are packing. Tonight, we once again embark, fully equipped with all our possessions, on a journey to seek out a home. Putham Thani, north of Bangkok and surrounded by beautiful Ayutthaya and Sukhothai will be home for the next 5 months. I look forward to passing out candy tomorrow to our young neighbors (and having a gin and tonic) and relaxing to mentally prepare for the first day of the semester on Monday. Though we have no furniture other than beds at the moment, knowing for sure that I wont have to move in the next couple of weeks is going to be a fantastic feeling.