075 – Ayutthaya

Sounds lovely. Why would anyone go there? Because you cannot go ten feet without tripping over an archeological site. Or so I was told. After our visit, I believe it is more like 50 feet, but the idea is valid.
We spent 2 hours on the train to get to Ayutthaya, and I have one comment about the train. It was hot.

I don’t know if anyone is reading these posts, but last night we stopped by the train station and got a preview of the system. The trains are not air conditioned. Or they are conditioned, but only by open windows and fans. It is on the way to 38C today. For Americans, that puts the temp at about 100 F. So, yes. Beware the train. The full train we were lucky to get seats on.
The tickets were only 15 THB, and I had to pay 5 THB to use the bathroom at the station (my first paid toilet experience), so for approximately 60 cents US, I got what I paid for.
And we got there.
MJ hired a tuk tuk driver for the day to take us around the various sites, which was nice but again, not air conditioned. It was a hot day.

With Joy as our guide, and glad we did not need to walk everywhere, we started off.
There are all kinds of sites set up for tourists to visit, but in the middle of a row of houses, in the middle of a round about, next to a school, or by the river, there are simply a lot of ruins everywhere. I cannot imagine how the people built things around all the stuff, but they did.
True, it appears to be mostly temporary things. I would call them shanties. Homes made of tin roof panels and tarps with some wood mixed in were the norm. There were piles of garbage on the the streets or in ravines, but the Tuk Tuk’s were nicer in a more ‘executive’ flare than in Bangkok or other places.
What I as an American would consider poverty conditions appeared to be rampant. When we took the boat cruise last night, we saw tents set up on the streets by the river. Whole tent communities covered over by tarps, laundry hanging off the side. I would like to say that was in sharp contrast to the rest of town, but it really was not.
Today the poverty was more apparent. Even on the train ride, there were shanty conditions along the route. You don’t see that in the tourist parts of Bangkok, but step outside the norm and it is prevalent.
Of course, nothing can be called ‘clean’ anywhere. Graffitti covered metal slide down doors are everywhere, but here they do conceal entrances in many places, unlike in Vietnam. Vendors are closed all day and open up at night, or vice versa. Or perhaps they are simply closed. I have no idea what the economic status of this country is, but they are not winning any economic awards.
Yet here we are, in the center of the second capital of Siam, once described as one of the three great powers in Asia, among ruins which display obvious and abundant prosperity.
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Again. This is not a new world theme. From the dinosaurs onward, nobody is the top banana forever.

Anyway, our first stop First on the list of stops was Wat Yai Chaya Mongkhon or  Wat Yai Chiamongkhon. Again, spelling is lost in translation.
King U-thong proclaimed this temple his ‘royal temple’ in 1350. In 1593, the name changed when a chedi to commemorate the renowned victory of King Naresuan the Great over the Burmese invasion of 1593. Yai Chaya Mongkhon means “The treat temple of Auspicious Victory.”

If you dare, as I did, to climb to the upper area of this Chedi, you can lookout over the grounds, but you can also stand in the middle of the chedi and drop a coin into a ‘well’ for good luck. Honestly, there was no water in the well, and the information I had about it was from another visitor at the top, but I put in my two cents worth and moved on.

For ruins, these were pretty darn complete. There were people actively worshiping at various places around the complex, and there was even a huge (not as big as Wat Pho’s, but really big) reclining Buddha, which was covered with a golden cloth. While I was taking pictures, the cloth appeared to slip away, and then be replaced.
My first thought was one of the crazy kids with the tourists decided to look under the sheet and pull it off. I was told it is a ritual of some kind and there were monks performing the ritual. No idea why or what this ritual was about, but in this heat, I would not want to be under a blanket baking in the sun either.

This Buddha, known as Phra Isartyawong. was illegally excavated, but restored in 1965. The Vihara of the Reclining Buddha sits next to this Buddha, and is one of the places several people were worshiping while we were there.

Our next stop was not a temple, but near a temple where we stopped to feed bananas to turtles. I have no idea why this happened, or why so many were partaking in the event, but here we were.

The turtles appeared to be happy about it.

Next stop was not what I expected. I suppose neither were the turtles, so, perhaps I should stop expecting things.
Wat Panan Choeng was not a ruin at all. It was a tourist mall im my opinion.
We pulled into a parking lot lined with a long roof, under which were an array of items to be purchased so one could participate in making merit.
Everything from candles, to insence, to what appeared to be fireworks were lined up and being sold. There were idols to pray to, day of the week statues to give to, lucky numbers, lucky zodiac signs… everything I had seen before in this mini mart of worship.

And you had to take your shoes off to get into this area. I don’t mind taking my shoes off. It is expected in temples, but not usually until you get to the Vaharn or something. This was more akin to the front door (without doors) of a Macy’s religious outlet.
Yet we were here to see something. I bypassed the bling and moved deeper into the area, where we came upon a monk giving blessings.
It was hot, I was tired and MJ was struggling to be present at all, so we stopped and paid to be blessed. He did not give out braclets, which was disappointing as I have no proof I was blessed, but that is petty and from a position of hot and tired, not my usual feelings on the subject.
After the monk we discovered Wat Panan Choeng is an old monastery housing Thailand’s largest ancient Buddha image, known as “Luang Po To.”
A historical chronicle states that this gilded stucco image was made in AD 1324. Some 26 years before the establishment of Ayutthaya as the capital of the Thai Kindgom in 1350 AD.

Aparently, in ancient times there was a Thai tradition that no covering structure could be over a large statue so that ‘the magnificence of the image could well be admired from any angle as well as from any visible distance.’
So, this guy was exposed to the elements for a long time. Yes, he has had a face lift.

Chinese followers revere this Buddha image as their “Sum Po Hud Kong,” or the god protector of those who sail. Trade was opening up during the Ayutthaya kingdom, and since much sailing was done by the Chinese then for trade or for migration, this temple took on special meaning to them, which is apparently why it has a Chinese flair.
The information sign states: “The interior and its facilities have constantly changed in adaptation to the time, to ease the process of worshipping and study.”
Once we got past the initial vendors out front, there were more temple like properties to the building, but even in the depths of the area, with monks wondering around and having seen the big Buddha, it did not give off any ancient vibe. I freely admit, I probably missed half of this one, but it was hard to navigate, and the overall Buck-ee’s truck stop vibe confused me. Especially when I thought I would be looking at ruins all day.
But, there was a new carnival game I had not seen in the prayer lineup before this. They had tubs of water, that you could purchase a lotus shaped candle, light it and send your prayer to heaven by floating the candle on the water through some kind of generated mist.

Reminded me of the ‘pick a duck’ ponds at county fairs. Once you get past the giant vat of water plugged into a small motor to circulate the water and supply the vapor, it was rather pretty.

Continuing on to Wat MahaThat, which is famous for Buddha’s face in the roots of a tree.
It was also the best ruins we have seen all day. Because they were ruined.

Wat Maha That is the Ayutthaya royal temple that houses Buddha’s relics.
There are a lot of signs around explaining how one pile of bricks was a pagoda constructed by King somebody and destroyed by invasion, but I am not going to do a history lesson today. Because the history lesson on this temple alone would take hours.
I will sum up and say, if an image is complete, it is not here. This is where the body parts are sent to live, and to prove that, the most famous part of the entire temple is the Buddha head in the tree.

This head, which was part of a sandstone Buddha image, fell off the main body at some point and nobody appeared to notice for a very long time.
The body disappeared as did part of the head apparently, but it fell at the base of a Bodhi tree and gradually was trapped within the constantly growing roots. The signs tell me the style of the face reflect the art of the middle Ayutthaya period, which dates it around the middle 1600’s. Because the tree picked up the face, situated the expression to look at people, and the tree and the image are important to the religion, everyone flocks to see the head in the tree.
It was cool. I would have appreciated a hand, or perhaps a foot sticking out somewhere as if to grab you, but that is the science fiction part of my brain processing the sight. Tenacles. Tenacles would be cool to snake across the ground and grab the ankles of the unsuspecting sinners. Dragging them into the tree which then would glow red and drip blood from the leaves… or something dramatic as a warning to those who stray from the good path.
I could imagine a child who was nearby being devoured by the tree. But that was the heat exhaustion talking, I’m sure.

But I digress. There was a lot to see here, and this is exactly what I was thinking I would see. So it was a very good stop.

Next up: Wihan Pha MongKhon Bophit.
At this one, first it was a long walk to the main building which we discovered was under construction and we could not go in.

But, there were ruins next to it, and those were also very ruined.

The most notable thing about this stop is that I, for the first time in Thailand, saw elephant riding.
I have seen, and even participated before, but after our elephant experience, I noted it, and I thought about it.
Of course, it upset MJ. In this heat, and the number of elephants being paraded around the area with 2 or 3 tourists on their backs. It was upsetting to see, but there they were, in full view of everyone, and selling ride after ride.

The reason I mention it at all is because of my new knowledge and perspective, but also because when we drove by the tent where the elephants were kept, there was a giant picture of the king outside of it.

That is a thing here. Not unlike the federal buildings in the us post a picture of the president, all the government buildings here must post a picture of the king.
But anyone can buy a picture of the king and put it in their business, weather he supports their trade or not. If he, as king, condones elephant riding, then he has a lot to learn about his people and elephants. At the same time, the elephant conservatory thing that has everyone belittling other sanctuaries in the area also has a picture of the king hanging by their door. Or so I am told. As does Happy Elephant Home. As does the bus stop. As does the weed shop… it goes on and on. But if hanging his picture is a sign of respect to the king, that is one thing, but if it at any level implies endorsement or support of the business, it is troubling. He cannot support sanctuaries and riding at the same time.
Anyway, I thought it was interesting. Some must use his image, (anything having to do with the government) and have a current image on display, but others can apparently use it like free domain.
Also, it was interesting at the train station that the current king and his wife were pictured, as were the past king and his wife. And between those two giant pictures was a much older king, I assume the one who opened the railways, but I have no idea. It was just interesting to see all of them pictured, when I am told the most current picture is the one to have.
Anyway, did I mention it was hot. I was dripping all day. I cannot even tell you exactly what we saw. The king picture might have been a mirage. Perhaps the elephants were too. Did I mention it was hot?

Joy agreed it was hot, so as a break from the heat she took us to a shop to learn how to weave fish out of bamboo.
I am horrid at it, but the man was very kind. I bought some fish I have no idea how I am going to get home, but I have a feeling they will live somewhere near the Vietnam hat.

At this point, I could tell I was getting a little silly, because when we pulled up to the next site, I had no response other than to laugh out loud.

Yes, I’m from Iowa, and this… is a giant Butter Buddha.
Obviously not butter because it would be sauteing the concrete on this very hot day, but from color to craftsmanship… it was time for me to go home. This, if you are interested, is not a Butter Buddha. It is Wat Lokaya Sutha, and that is all I saw or know about the entire site.

But one last stop.

Wat Chaiwatthanaram was by the river, which was nice, but it was the time of day when the light was bad. Sun heading toward sunset, but too high to be ideal and casting a lot of shadows on everything.

Still, it was amusing to watch the costumed people, of which there were many, pose for pictures. And the highlight of this temple was several doggos.

By this time, we had missed the last train back to Bangkok.
Darn it.
We had also missed the last van, so Joy took us to a spot near where the vans left from and waited with us while we arranged for an Uber to pick us up.
I am ever so thankful for air conditioning. And water. And shade. And… it was a long hot day.