Note for travelers: the recommended bus route from Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya using first bus 411 to Suphanburi, and then bus (actually a Toyota van) 703 to Ayutthaya was smooth and easy.
The trip to Ayutthaya started with a cool, early morning, moto-taxi ride to the Kanchanaburi bus terminal. The lady driver took us to a bus 411 that had just left the station. Perfect, no waiting.
Bus 411 ticket taker was also a woman.
After checking into our hotel in Ayutthaya (booked ahead online), the first order of business was eating at a vegetarian restaurant.
Ayutthaya has a good number of tourists, many on bikes.
Then to the sites: Pagoda with 7-11 in background.
Wat Ratchaburana.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet ruins.
Contemporary, working Wat Phra Si Sanphet with Buddha image.
We were disappointed and heartbroken to see enslaved elephants.
A Hindu-style pagoda.
Some of the ruins were along hot, dusty streets, but some were in a green leafy park with ponds and canals.
This dog was just hanging out at Wat Phra Mahathat, but others would bark and try to nip our heels.
The Buddha image in a tree at Wat Mahatra was cool as promised.
Lots of activity at Wat Phanan Choeng, the Thai-Chinese temple where we happened upon a "Dress the Buddha" ceremony. Each devotee has a piece of saffron cloth that will be blessed and then tossed up to be worn by the Buddha image.
>And a Royal Town should have a moat.
The hotel pool - chilly this one.
2 comments:
Re: elephants - just read that Ringling Bros are going to stop using elephants.
Re: Ayutthaya - i enjoyed the boat ride back to Bangkok, but guess you're heading north?
@Kathy, so glad to hear. Elephants are such magnificent animals. Attitudes are changing. While I couldn't look at the elephants too closely, I did notice almost all the riders are Asian tourists.
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