Ayothaya Riverside Ayutthaya

... sites including: <br><br>Wat Phanan Choeng (giant Buddha)<br>Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon (little reclining Buddha &amp; cool ruins)<br>Wat Phra Mahatha (Ruins &amp; Buddha head ensconsed in tree vines and roots)<br><br>At that last Wat, I accidentally stepped on a hundred or thousand year old piece of old pottery that was apparently still ridiculously sharp, because it cut up my foot and ankle and I had blood streaming down my foot... Pretty... Of course, I ...

... seemed to be Thai bar/clubs on the water, and some of the people seemed to be laughing, not smiling, and pointing in my general direction. I checked to see that my shlong wasn't hanging out, but the real reason for their laughter soon dawned on me. <br>In the wake of the two ferries five very large waves were born. The first three waves hit our boat with a perfect resonance to bounce the boat...and the last two were perfectly out of step with the boats bounce, and ...

... two of them were americans living and working in cambodia, and I soon came to find out that the other girl is from ventura, went to the same high school as me, and I was in the same grade as/ and know who her brother is.. So that was pretty dang weird and random!! <br>The next day I caught the skytrain to TESCO which is their big shopping center/ grocery store. (it is very interesting, but Thai people generally do not cook or have a kitchen. So ...

... and different people. But here's a broad overview.<br><br>The alarm goes off at about 6:30 and the first thing you do is regretfully turn off the AC. Then if you're lucky, the hot water will already be working in the morning. Then get dressed in your school uniform (I'm not posting pictures because it's too embarrassing), and step over Lam, the stray cat, sleeping outside by the door. Then I get to school at about 7:45 and all the students which is well over 1,000 line up around ...

... You know how they have the blind beggars in Slumdog Millionaire? Yeah that's not just in the movies, there were some blinded beggars at the market, just holding out a jar sitting there. It kind of gives you a feeling you didn't know existed. This really does exist. Not that I didn't know it before, it's a matter of seeing it and experiencing it. <br>Yeah, the Land of Smiles. Ironic. It's just about what the smile really hides. <br>

... I helped to gold-leaf a reclining Buddha and learned a little about Burmese Buddhist Tradition. The monastery had lion images reminiscent of the ancient Cambodian statues at Ankor Wat. These too were badly damaged, and efforts to restore the ruins seems to be lacking.<br><br>I then made my way to Ayutthaya's largest Pagoda Complex, where 3 enormous stupas provided a centerpiece for the grounds of the ancient Thai Palace. Next to the complex stood Thailand's largest ...

... off on all temple visitors, Buddhist or not. <br><br> It was with great excitement therefore that I relished my being an accidental tourist in Ayutthaya. Our group's first stop was Wat Na Phra Meru Rachikaram, which means "the temple in front of the royal pyre." Buddhists believe that those who visit this wat will be blessed with prosperity and love. Now known as Wat Na Phra Men, it is perhaps the only monastery that survived the ...