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George's World Travels
The old capital!
The day started rediculously early as we had to be fed and ready to go by 7am! Our breakfast consisted of Mac D's fries and coke, sacriligious I know, not to mind very unwanted at that time in the morning!
After a few hours drive we arrived at the first Wat (Im going to tell you now-we cannot for the life of us remember any of the names of the places we visited that day, so for now it will be 'Wat 1'.) There we gazed upon a rather large black Buddha-wa being renovated thus lacking the gold leaf finish. Our guide, who was pretty informative throughout the day, demonstrated how Thai Buddhists ask their fortune from Buddha. He had to red blocks, both with a curved and flat side. People throw these to the floor and when they land on opposing sides, i.e. one curved one flat, this is the sign that they are eligable to ask their fortune. The next step is to shake an open cylinder containing numerous numbered sticks. The first to fall out is their alloted number. This they use to reference their fortune, which is on display in the temple. Interesting.
We were also told the story of the Buddha, who our guide repeatedly reminded us is not considered a God. He was a normal person just like us, but given the status of a superior being as in India at the time, Hinduism was practiced by the majority of people and Buddhism had to have a God like figure to revere, and thus compete with Hinduism. We were also reminded about karma. Something the events of this holiday has very much endorsed.
We went into another room in the temple where 5 Buddhas ( 3 main ones) sat. See pics. As everyone looked at these I wondered outside and found a money tree (dad-remember the wishing tree in Venice?), where people had obviously donated money to the temple. Also, there was a monk preaching to a small group of people, which was cool to watch.
Once outside, our guide explained the phenomenon of why people bang the bells after they come out of the temples. The reasoning is that once they have done a good deed, i.e. visiting the wat/ giving some money/ praying for something, this message of 'goodness' is sent up to the heavens via the bell!
After Wat 1, we had a river boat tour around the island of Ayutthaya (Wat 1 is on other side of moat). This was awesome, one of highlights of the day. We got to see normal life along the river, old men and women fishing, families having picnics, washing being hung, walls being built. It was magical to be able to watch people like that, and also take photos at will which we wouldnt be able to do otherwise, as is bit rude or get unnatural images as youre spotted. The houses were very interesting too, as you will see. Has fuelled my dream to have a house on a river, Dawson creek style, little put put boat and everything.
Another stop was the old palace. Nicki and I bought these awesome, and Im sure by Thi standards very tacky hats that fold down into a squashed fan. Very fun! After looking around the main building, we went to the temple sites, 'Wat 2'. There were heaps of school children there-somehting Ive noticed is their remarkably similar haircuts among the girls! Anyhoo, they were lovely, climbing along the walls, picking white flowers and running around the blossom tree filled greens of the ruins. We both rtied in vain to capture the moments but was very tricky. However, they spotted us trying to get photos of them and swarmed on us, very eager to pose! Have got some aweosme pics of them, smiling inannely, striking poses so similar to ones Myles and J would make and generally bubbling over with life! Kids the world over are so similar. Nicki said she looked exactly like them, expression wise, when she was thier age.
Lunch was cool, talking to the French couple that accompanied us on the tour. For dessert our guide gave us a traditional sweet treat of green circular wraps and yellow candy floss (also looked like hair) which you slip in between the wrap before rolling the thing up to consume. I wasnt taken with the treat but Nicki like it. Pics will be up soon!
After lunch-wat 3, which was very small, and had on display some offerings to Buddha of food and papier-macha chickens which had real chicken feathers stuck on-at first we were fooled by this and taken aback by the apparent carcus. Thank god, no. All was well.
The on to the elephant village, where you could feed them their beloved bananas and watch in disgust as one performed circus tricks. We saw through pics though how the elephants had been used to help in the tsunami relief work down south, by lifting tree trunks and moving wrapped up bodies. They also wore white nurses head bands sporting the red cross!
Our last stop was where this picture was taken, Wat 4, considered the most beautiful of the ruins. Got some awesome pics. After visiting the Grand Palace and Temple comlex holding the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok it was cool see the bare makeup of the temples, and also be able to transfer our images of Bangkok to those at Ayutthaya, recreating what they must have looked like centuries ago before the Burmese invaded and burned them all down in the 18th Century.Yes our impression of the Burmese after seeing so many ruins that once stood so blazingly (youll understand once you see the colours of the Grand Palace and temples!) and meant so much to Thai people, their history and culture is not all that positive anymore!
All in all an awesome day and something well worth doing if you are in Bangkok! (Nicki and I are currently creating a to do list for others destined to Thailand!)
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