Post by Dom:
We rented bicycles and rode around the ruins of Sukhothai, which is in the "old city". They are incredible. Sukhothai is the ancient city where Thais consider their nation to have been born. The first Thai alphabet originated here. Today, there isn't much in the old city aside from the ruins.

The old city is 7 miles away from the modern "new city". So it was very quiet & tranquil riding among the ruins, which are tucked away among trees. Gently falling leaves surrounded us, while a wonderful cool breeze saved us from melting away. The sound of singing birds and cicadas could be heard all over the city. A moat runs around the city, and there are mini-moats that surround some of the temples. It's summer break for the local Thai children, so we spotted some kids cooling off in the moat. I'm not sure how clean that water is, but I'm sure I would be doing the same. It beats spending the hot summer inside the house! After perusing the ruins within the city walls, we headed outside of the wall to look at more ruins. It turned out to be a beautiful bike ride with fun twists & turns through ancient temples & trees on a road we had all to ourselves. It felt like we were the only two people in the whole city. Riding a bicycle is so much fun. It brings out the kid in me. We stopped for a so-called break at a temple on top of a hill that overlooks the city. It turned out to be a 600ft mini-hike to the top. That may not sound so bad, but in 100 degree weather it might as well have been 10,000ft. I was sweating bullets! It was a stunning view once we reached the top. The breeze turned into a strong wind at that height, which made it even more awesome. We really needed it after that climb! Some locals tied hammocks to the trees and were napping in the shade. I wish I would have thought of that!

After our ruin-filled adventure, we stopped at a cafe for watermelon shakes. Mango & pineapple are my all time favorite fruits...and both are delicious out here. But, we've discovered that as far as shakes go...watermelon is the BEST. It is the most tasty & thirst quenching of all the shakes we've tried. The shakes are not the same as American shakes...no ice cream or any other kind of dairy that goes straight to the gluteus maximus. It's basically just blended fruit...with a little bit of ice & a tiny bit of sugar syrup. It's so freakin good! I'm definitely going to start making them when we get home.

After we left Sukhothai, we took a 5 hour bus to another ancient city...Ayutthaya. Unlike the the Sukhothai ruins...Ayutthaya's are in the middle of the city amidst busy streets, creating a contrast between modern and ancient. Most of the Buddhas scattered around the ruins are missing heads and hands. When the Burmese invaded, they chopped them off believing this would reduce the power of the Lord Buddha. Later in the day we found a 'real' elephant camp. The Kraal Elephant Camp cares for abused elephants. I had a blast watching the babies. They are so hilarious. They're rambunctious like children, and run around chasing each other. They're very curious and explore EVERYTHING with their trunks...even if that means running it up my leg. The youngest & smallest elephant got a kick out of running everywhere at full speed. It was like he only had two settings...stop & run like the wind. The adult elephants are chained during the day because the camp gets visitors and it would be a bad scene of visitors were accidentally stomped on by elephants. Even though they can't go anywhere, they constantly rock back & forth, unable to stay still. But, they get to roam free when the camp closes for the day.

I LOVE our guest house (Tony's Place...how fitting!) Our room is charming with glossy hardwood floors, traditional paintings on the walls, exposed brick on part of the wall, and pretty teal & green colors in the bathroom. There is a restaurant downstairs with tables low to the floor, and comfy pillows for chairs. On the 2nd levels 'hang out' area hammocks are strung up near balconies that overlook the restaurant. The staff are all very nice, which makes the experience much more enjoyable.

Our favorite place for lunch is the neighborhood street market. We found a lady that sells different varieties of grilled chicken on a stick. My favorite is the hot pepper, tomato and pineapple combo with chili sauce poured over it. Delicioso! The dim sum guy has some good stuff too. We're off to Cha Am next, which is known for the seafood...YUM. Finally...a beach town...yaaaay-ah!!
Sukhothai Pics
Ayutthaya Pics