Day 9 Chiang Mai

Up and out early this morning as we had a full day planned. Collected outside the hotel by private minibus and we were on our way to  Maetaeng Elephant Park. It was approx one hour drive so not too bad. As soon as we arrived we were ushered into our elephant to ride. This was a lovely experience and we meandered our way along and in the river buying sugar cane along the way to feed him. Our elephant was 35 years old and I will have to ask Nigel what his name was. It is fascinating to see them feel with thief trunks to make sure they have a good footing.

Following this we had a ride in an oxen cart. This was really enjoyable too especially when the driver got off to take some photos and invited Kerith and I to sit in his seat for them. He then proceeded to tell us to drive it!! He was quite happy to just walk alongside as Kerith took the reins and I had the "poking" stick. We even managed to manoeuvre them back to the disembarking point.

Next was the elephant show and whilst I usually worry that the elephants are being asked to perform under duress I have to say they looked as though they were enjoying the fun as much as we were. There were small ones and medium sized doing various things like painting (absolutely amazing), taking penalty shots and beating the goalie every time but then I don't think I would like to be on the receiving end of one of the shots, back heeled shots etc but I think they enjoyed receiving their rewards most of all, bananas from the spectators. They certainly know how many bananas are in the baskets and kept coming back for more until the were all gone, which didn't take long.

The final part of the experience was a gentle raft down the river on a bamboo raft. Once again the guide allowed us to take part which Daryl and Kerith took on. The did a Stirling job of keeping us on the straight and narrow.

Lunch followed and then a trip to an orchid and butterfly farm. The orchids were stunning and do many different colours and varieties.

A trip up the long and winding road to a temple where we paid our respects to loved ones no longer with us by hanging a bell with a sentiment on them. The view of Chiang Mai was spectacular.

We then headed back to the hotel for a rest before spending the evening in the night market again and having food. Tom Yam was the order of the day for me again which was pretty spicy but very good.

Day 8 Chiang Mai

This morning we arrived on the train in Chiang Mai. Some of the group managed to get some sleep but  for others it was not such a good night. We checked into our hotel but as the rooms were still being cleaned we headed off for breakfast at at the UN Irish pub. Full English or similar was had by all. 

Lovely room with a nice little balcony.

We then set off for a wander around. There are a lot more shops in Chiang Mai which could prove to be a little dangerous :-)

As we were all shattered we made our way back to the hotel for a rest before visiting the night market in the evening where we had yet another delicious meal. This was followed by a show. A Ladyboy show to be exact. A few photos follow. Some are a little blurred as we were a way back but I am sure you will get the idea.

Day 7 Ayutthaya

This morning we took a boat trip to more temples. These were very different in style to the ones we saw yesterday.

The boat driver then dropped up as the floating market. There were lots of stalls selling everything from t-shirts to food. We stopped for lunch which was usual delicious.

At the entrance there were goats who you could buy milk for and feed them. They were very sweet but you had to hang onto your bottle! The whole area was very sweet.

This evening we boarded the overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai. We almost boarded one to somewhere else but luckily the station attendant stopped us. That would have been funny - not! As it was Kerith's birthday (the hotel owner had already given cakes) there was a little celebration. As you can see this was in a bus shelter as the Thai government has imposed a ban on all alcohol in stations and on trains.

The sleeper was interesting as seats are converted into beds and you are just separated by a curtain. The journey took approx 12 hours and some of us got more sleep than others.

Tomorrow we will wake up in Chiang Mai :-)

Day 6 Ayutthaya

Today we visited some of the many temples in Ayutthaya. There are numerous and it would probably take days to see them all so we selected some that were different styles.

We initially walked to the first few but then realised that the ones we wanted to see would be too far so hopped onto a tuk tuk.

The city of Ayutthaya was founded in 1350 by King U-Thong and served as the capital of what was the predecessor to the Siamese empire and modern Thailand. 

Over the next 417 years it was ruled by 33 kings and repelled 23 Burmese invasions, before the Burmese finally succeeded in razing it to the ground in 1767. At its height, Ayutthaya was surrounded by a 12-kilometre-long wall which was five metres thick and six metres high and boasted 99 gates, brick and clay roads and canals to transport water into the city. 

By all reports Ayutthaya was stunning and rivalled most European capitals of the time. The city was a major centre not only of Thai civilisation but also Asian, Middle Eastern and even European arts, culture and trade. A number of foreign communities thrived in the city, chief among them the Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, Persian, Portuguese, Dutch and French. As other parts of the world suffered bloody wars based on religious differences, freedom of religion was a hallmark of Ayutthaya. 

Hints of this grandiose past can still be seen in the many ruins scattered throughout the province, but the Burmese obliterated almost of all of the treasures and records -- even melting Buddha images down for their gold and robbing the heads off those made from stone. Though the Burmese were repelled by a Siamese army made up of Thais and foreigners later that same year, Ayutthaya never returned to its former glory. The Siamese capital was moved down the Chao Phraya, first to Thonburi and finally to Bangkok where it remains today. 

In more recent history, Ayutthaya province was one of the hardest hit by the Thailand floods of late 2011, which inundated most of the city with one to three metres of water for over three months in some places. The city, its people and the historical park were still recuperating during our last visit at the end of 2012. Many of the grasses and trees that once punctuated the ruins with colourful flowers were killed off by the water, and major sites like Wat Phra Sri Sanphet now have a desolate feel when compared to their former beauty. 

All the above is taken from the web and I am afraid I cannot be credited for the text. :-) I have attached a selection of photos to try and show the different styles of architecture.

As well as temples we also visited the Grand Palace as below and saw the elephants there.

Tonight only four of us went out for dinner by the river. We had an excellent meal. Grilled shrimp (in the UK they would be called king prawns), grilled pork, minced pork with basil and chilli (spicy but not ridiculous) and fish with garlic and pepper (battered, fried and chopped into bite sized pieces, - no bones!), two portions of stir fried vegetables and ample fried rice, all for 1500 baht (about £30) including drinks. 

Day 5 off to Ayutthaya

Today was a very relaxed day in comparison to the others we have had so far. Left hotel about 10am and headed to the bus station where we caught the bus to Suphan Buri. This was a journey that was to take approx 2 hours.

Pretty uneventful apart from having drunk copious amounts of water as we are told frequently to do, Nigel was absolutely desperate for the toilet and we still had approx 40 minutes from our destination. He thought he would have to get off at the next stop and then find a taxi to catch us up. Bearing in mind this was public transport we mentioned the need for a toilet to the conductor who gestured we were stopping soon. He then jumped off the bus on a dual carriageway and we continued a bit further along. The driver then did a U turn and we proceeded back down the dual carriageway where we stopped outside a shop and lo and behold the conductor was there waiting. He gestured to Nigel the way to the toilet and then waited for him. What lovely people. I can just imagine them doing that in the UK.

So all was well and we continued our journey. We changed buses at Suphan Buri and this time we had a small mini bus. As there were seven of us the conductor turfed a few off so we could all fit with our luggage. The bus was pure luxury after the first bone rattling bus. No more incidents occurred and we arrived at the lovely Prom Tong Mansion. The floors and staircases are made out of what looks like teak and therefore all shoes must be removed before entering the hotel - we think there's a cultural element too, though it wasn't required in Bangkok or Kanchanaburi. We were greeted by the delightful owner and shown to our rooms.

We had a quick turnaround and back out for a walk around the local area where we had a bite to eat before returning to have a rest and then shower and change before heading out for a drink at Tony's Bar which Babs had spoken about previously. Another fun night with plenty of beer drunk and a snack before returning to the hotel in a tuk tuk.

So tomorrow we head off to look around the temples of Ayutthaya.