We took the train from Bangkok to Ayutthaya for a good hour. It is very warm and unfortunately we have to stand between some other train passengers, which made this train ride not the most pleasant ride of our trip. 🙈 When we arrived in Ayutthaya, we first walked past all the tuk tuk drivers who were already waiting for us. We wanted to fortify ourselves first and quickly found a small restaurant on the side of the road. Everyone had a drink and we shared a portion of fried rice. We were less enthusiastic about the food, but at least our stomachs were full. A tuk tuk driver took us to the “Siri Guesthouse”. Recommendation!
Historical landmark: Wat Chai Watthanaram Since the cold persisted and now had us both under control, we rested during the day and went to eat in the surrounding cafes and restaurants. The food was very cheap and tasty. We felt very comfortable in our accommodation, had good WiFi and a comfortable bed. We actually wanted to rent bikes and explore the area and temples, but our health didn't allow that at the moment. On the penultimate day we decided to take the boat tour that our accommodation offered so that we could at least do some sightseeing and see three well-known temples. We also reached the third temple at sunset and we were a manageable small group. In the afternoon we were picked up by a tuk tuk and taken to a jetty. We got on the boat with the other tourists and started talking to the first people, all Germans 😄 The first temple we went to by boat was “Wat Phanan Choeng”, with a huge, golden Buddha statue inside. By the way, there is an entrance fee to get to the Buddha. I think we had 30 minutes before we had to get back to the boat. Then we went to the second Buddhist temple “Wat Phuttaisawan”. It was more impressive and the complex was larger and more beautiful than the first temple. There was also a reclining Buddha statue here. Entry was free. Here too we had 30 minutes. Just before sunset, we reached the third temple “Wat Chai Watthanaram”, a restored ruin of a Buddhist temple from the 17th century, also located on the river bank and beautiful. (entrance fee). By far the most tourists were here. Many wore traditional clothing. This time we had 60 minutes. We explored the temple complex as the sun disappeared and the lights came on. That was a special atmosphere. Finally, we took the boat back to the jetty in the dark. The tuk tuk was already waiting for us and took us back to the accommodation. By the way, we were so lucky with the weather. 🍀 In the afternoon dark clouds rolled in and a short time later it was raining cats and dogs. But just in time for our trip, the rain stopped and it stayed dry. When we went to dinner that same evening, it rained again. We met the couple from our boat trip in the restaurant and chatted with them for a long time. Thank you Lars and Chrissy for the lovely evening by the way!😉 We left Ayutthaya on November 14th, 2023 and got on the night train in the evening, shortly before midnight. We were looking forward to our beds and hoped for a few hours of sleep. We were amazed when we got on the train……….and realized……what we had booked at the counter was not the sleeping car, but a compartment with seats 😩🙈😂 shit! 😩🙈😂
