Central Thailand

Sukhothai

After Chiang Rai, I headed south to Sukhothai -- one of the ancient capitals of Thailand. I planned to get there in the evening and then, the next day, meet up with Shannon, an Australian woman I'd met in Chiang Mai. I arrived and got picked up at the bus station by a girl on a motor cycle. Here is an image for you: me and my back-pack clinging to the seat as she drove us along the highway to what is my favorite guest house so far: 99 Guest House. It is more or less the home of a woman named Naa, who, as her day job is a tour guide in the ruins, and at night welcomes strange Farang into her home. It was the closest to being part of a Thai family as I've come, outside of my volunteering.

The next morning, I got up, and after a late start, headed to the ruins. Following Naa's advice, I rented a bike and rode around, in the blazing sun visiting all the various structures. They are spectacular! Huge and old and grand and partially restored and “cleaned up” at various times in the last half of the 20^th century to give more of an impression of what they were like when people actually lived there. Nothing remains of the Royal Palace or any of the houses where people lived, -- not surprising if they, like many modern houses, were made of wood and bamboo – but many large temples and similar structures (made of stone and brick) survive. The main ruins are very cool (or very hot as it was a very hot day more than 90oF and little shade), but some of my favorites were the ones where it was only me and the cows and the crows. I found a temple that must still look more or less like Old Sukhothai before the restoration: Rundown and Romantic. There was one temple full of Buddha sculptures so old that only the suggestion of legs and an arm or hand remained. And they, like little else here, were quiet! There was only the calling of the crows, and the ringing of the cow bells, or their gentile complaints as they were driven home for the evening.

Back at the guest house – after just catching the last bus to New Sukhotahi – I recovered from my day by eating massive amounts of wonderful spicy Chicken-Coconut soup and having an hour-and-a-half long Thai Massage! Sigh. What a wonderful feeling to have some woman lean on your legs until the blood stops and then push your body around in directions it is not used to going! Shannon arrived late that night (not quite recovered from a bout of food poisoning, but anxious not to let that stop her touring) and the next day she and I headed out to Sisanthanburi. Again we rented bicycles, and again suffered in the blazing heat, and again caught the last bus home after filling up on ancient Thai and Khamer ruins.

That evening we celebrated (simply being alive and having an appetite) by going to the “Food Festival” in town. It was Wonderful! We wandered up and down the street, buying bits of food from each of the market stands, trying authentic Thai food (something none of the Farang I’d met on my travels wanted to do) including some of the best fish I’ve eaten! Fresh and “melt in your mouth” tender. The best part of the festival, though, was the dancing! Local girls performed on stage in traditional costumes and then were followed by a beauty pageant! But a beauty pageant where both women and men (called lady-boys) participated. One of the striking contrasts between Thailand and the US is the very open nature of some men acting as women -- “lady boys.” Transvestites I guess, but sometimes it is as simple and subtle as wearing nail polish or lipstick, and sometimes it is so complete that it is difficult to tell men from women.

Kankhanaburi and the Death Rail Road

From Sukhothai, Shannon and I headed south to Bangkok and a day trip to Kankhanaburi, the town where the infamous “bridge over the River Kawi is located. Rather than struggle with it on our own, we joined a tour up to the city, the bridge, the cemetery and a ride on the rail way itself in the morning, and the Tiger Temple in the afternoon. The tour was fine, but I will say this – as uncomfortable as I am with the “traveling” part of traveling (taking the bus or train or taxi), I prefer doing it on my own to taking a tour. We – or at least I -- ran into the Eastern language/culture dilemma when, despite specifically asking if the museum I wanted to see was on the tour, and specifically being told that it was, found out when we got there, that it wasn’t. Sigh. I tried not to make too much of a fuss, but I was very disappointed. We did get to ride on the rail, though, which was very exciting (though not the bridge). And I chatted up a couple of Thai women (using my rudimentary Thai and my winning smile) who looked after us on the way, letting me barge in front of them to get a good view.

Autthaya

Shannon’s and my frantic tour of Thailand continued with a jaunt up to Autthaya, another ancient city/capital of Thailand. This time, instead of bicycles, we rented a tuk-tuk and drove to the sights! Very luxurious. We started with the most famous of the temples: Wat Mahathat. I especially wanted to go to this one because there is a giant Buddha head (about 2 or 3 feet high) that has gotten wedged into the trunk of a Bodhai Tree (I think). The trunk and the head are the same color, and it looks like the head is part of the tree (which, in a way, it is). It is truly amazing. As a tangent: one of my favorite children’s books is Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkley Breathed. The final page of the book is a photograph of a tree with a bicycle appearing to “grow” out of the middle of the trunk. This is much the same. They both make me stop and examine my preconceptions of what is possible.

We drove around a lot and saw lots of very impressive structures, but my second favorite, was the last one: Wat Rathchaburana (I think). It is in amazing shape, many of the external sculptures are still fresh looking! But the best part, if you are bold enough and have enough of the “what’s around the next corner…” or “what’s down this dark stairway…” curiosity (the kind that killed the cat), is deep in the heart of the main structure. A tomb if I remember correctly. Inside, up a long steep set of stairs, and then down a long, steeper, narrower, set of stairs is a tiny room, still covered with golden frescos! Awesome, in the literal sense of the word. Imagine me, with a huge grin on my face; the grin of someone who has discovered something magical that few other people take the trouble to see.

Phannom Rung and Issan (again)

Shannon had had enough by this point. The heat and constant traveling and her illness earlier in the week were wearing on her I think, so after getting me all hyped up about the Full Moon Festival at Phannom Rung, she headed south and I headed east. Phannom Rung is another set of Khamer ruins. Again, it is huge and impressive and restored over several decades, but this time with a Chicago connection. The big deal about these, besides their impressiveness, is that, if you are lucky, and get up early, you can see the sun shine through all 15 doors of the temple/palace on the day after the full moon in early April! (You can also see the sun set through all 15 doors about 6 months later). Very cool. There is a big festival to celebrate, like the Lamduon flower festival in Sisaket, with dancing and music and a big “Sound and Light” show at night. I missed all of it, arriving in town at 8pm and having to dash off to meet up with Aew (a friend from Prangku – and the only one in town to see me on my fly by visit on my way north to another volunteer gig…). But I did get to see the ruins. I spent the morning wandering around them with another Australian woman, and two Thai women. Amazing. One of the highlight for me, though, was looking at a pediment (?) sculpture that had spent much of the 20^th century in Chicago. As the restoration work began, continued, and neared completion, Thailand and the Art Institute fought over who should get the sculpture. Eventually the AI gave in, and if you want to see it, you have to go to Thailand (something that I recommend anyway). I also got to stay in my second favorite guest house (the Honey Inn) – where, after initial frustrations with language and the booking via the internet, the host again took me under her wing and (more or less) treated me like one of the family!