Bangkok - Ayutthaya - Sukhothai: Jan 20 - 28, 2019

After about 12 hours of travel time, we arrived at our Airbnb in Bangkok on January 20th. The owner of the apartment informed us that Airbnb is illegal in Thailand, and in case of emergency, we would have to pretend to be his friends. The apartment was located in a huge complex in Bang Sue, about 15 km from the old town, and we were the only foreigners around, which was a special and amusing experience (and possibly a bit daring, due to the Airbnb issue). My brother also lived nearby, so we spent the last two days with him before he flew to Tel Aviv on January 23rd.

One evening, we wanted to meet directly at a bar that Michel knew from his last visit to Bangkok, which turned out to be quite a challenge. The address on the internet led us 6 km away from the actual location of the bar to an industrial area, and since no one understood us there, Josephine and I couldn't find WiFi for a long time to contact my brother and search for the correct address. Long story short, we eventually stumbled upon the bar by chance. Ironically, Michel forgot that it is located in the middle of the Ratchada Rot Fai Night Market. The Ratchada Market (not to be confused with the larger Srinakarin Rod Fai Market specializing in antiques) has everything your heart desires, from street food to live music to stands with various goods.

After Josephine and I were the only ones left, we treated ourselves to an apéro with breathtaking views at the Octave Rooftop Bar on the 45th floor of the Marriott Sukhomvit Hotel on our second-to-last evening. Of course, we didn't miss out on the famous Khao San Road, and Josephine was even brave enough to eat a fried scorpion. Gruuusigi du ;) The lively Khao San Road with its many impressions is absolutely worth seeing, and surprisingly, right next door in Rambuttri, you can find countless trendy restaurants where you can enjoy some peace and quiet. We liked it. Bangkok, you rock!

On Friday morning, we took a train from Hua Lamphong Station to the nearby city of Ayutthaya. We highly recommend the 3rd class journey for only CHF 1.50, provided you travel in the morning when temperatures are still mild and outside of rush hour.

Upon arriving in Ayutthaya, we decided to take a 3-hour tuk-tuk tour WITHOUT a guide. Well, it was foolish of us considering that practically nothing was labeled in English at all these temple complexes and ruins, let alone explained. So the tour turned out to be quite boring, and after a while, all the temples looked the same. We were also tired, and the afternoon heat was taking its toll on us. The city itself was far from inviting, so we traveled by bus the next day further north to Sukhothai.

In contrast to Ayutthaya, the small town of Sukhothai is much greener and relies mainly on agriculture. The historic park with its ruins from the 13th century was very beautiful and impressive. This time, we opted for a GUIDED bike tour, which allowed us to visit the important ruins outside the park as well. The tour guide Miaow told us a lot about Thai culture and history, which was incredibly beneficial. And even for inexperienced cyclists like us, this full-day tour was manageable! However, there was no avoiding sore butt muscles.

Since yesterday, we have been in Chiang Mai, and I'm looking forward to being able to tell you about it in a week. So far, it's been super :)