We’re officially on Thai time now. Our promised six hour bus ride to Sukhothai took a total of eight hours and included only one stop for the squat toilet. In all that time, the Thai children on the bus not only managed to hold their bladders but sat silently during the long journey without a toy, video game or movie to keep their attention. I remain amazed.
We arrived to the bus station late and were greeted by a friendly tuk-tuk driver who drove us through the small town to our guest house. We were starving so we dropped our bags and ate at the first most crowded food stall. We pointed to the pork, noodle and kale stir fry ordered by another patron as it looked to be the hottest and most innocuous dish offered and for a total of $2 we feasted.
Despite our late arrival, we planned to tour the ruins of Sukkhothai early in order to catch the sunrise and beat the heat and crowds. We missed the sunrise due to a stubborn layer of clouds but we did manage cooler weather and an empty park. So we cruised along in our rusty rented bicycles gazing at the remains of the 13th century Thai capital, now a UNESCO world heritage site. I was surprised by their deterioration compared to much older sites like the ancient Greek city of Ephesus or the Colosseum in Rome. Yet what’s striking about the ruins of Sukkhothai are their still living quality. The roofless coronation halls, serene buddhas and chedi are surrounded by growing trees and lily-filled ponds. And they are visited daily by worshipping buddhists who light incense, leave fresh flowers, dress the buddhas and paint their fingernails gold. Full families packed on motorbikes ride through the park armed with their picnic for the day.
Feel very drawn to the photos of the ruins and the fowl and chilis!
Seems so serene!
You guys are rock stars!
Haha. Andre, you must be our biggest fan.
I live in Thailand but I never visit to Sukhothai hahaaha ,, I think i will go this month^_^