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| Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park |
The second part of the tour was visiting the historic city of Ayutthaya. I've been looking forward to seeing this once glorious and majestic city, now an archaeological ruin.
The weather was hot and humid. Moving from one place to another can be a bit of a challenge. One good thing about package tours is that you don't have to worry about your transportation. I also love the fact that we are often offered cold towel and bottled water by our tour guide.
We arrived at the Ayutthaya Historical Park after a 15 minute drive from Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. Our first stop was Wat Maha That.
The famous attraction in this park was the Buddha's head entwined in the roots of a hundred year old Banyan tree. Our guide told us that this is the most photographed Buddha image. As a sign of respect, we were reminded to pose lower than the buddha if we want a picture taken with the image.
Ayutthaya was one of the provinces that was greatly affected by the flooding brought by heavy monsoon rains last year. There was an ongoing restoration in the park as some areas still have flood deposits.
Our next destination was the Temple of Phra Mongkhon Bophit, one of the largest bronze Buddha images in Thailand. The temple houses various antique bronze Buddha images and famous carved panels.
Not far from the temple was the Ancient Palace. The most important temple within the ancient palace compound is Wat Phra Si Sanphet.
There are more temples and ruins outside of Ayutthaya Historical Park, but these are no longer included in the tour. I don't know where my fascination for temples and ruins come from but I have a feeling that I will be back in Ayutthaya soon.
Before we head back to our van, our tour guide asked us if we want to see some elephants. My friends definitely said yes. On our way to the elephant ground, we passed by a traditional Thai house and some vendors.
It was already noon so we left immediately after seeing the elephants and some photo session. Time for lunch at the Grand Pearl. Here we come Nonthaburi.
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