Ayutthaya

 

 Eye-u-tie-uh.

What's that Spike?

Just practicing how to say the name correctly. It's spelled Ayutthaya, but you say it more like Eye-u-tie-uh.

If you say so.

I do. 

Anyway, Ayutthaya was very interesting to visit. It's not just one ancient temple ruin, but a whole bunch of them spread throughout the area.

That's because Ayutthaya was the ancient capital and kingdom before the Kingdom of Siam. 

The kingdom started around 1350, and it lasted until just a few years before the American Revolution started.

That's a pretty good reign. Get it?

I got it, Captain. And you're right considering the number of invasions and wars fought during that time!

The city is near Bangkok, a little over an hour or so away. There are a lot of things to see, so we're glad we were there for the entire day.

Here are some of the highlights.

Wat Chaiwatthanaram: This temple is on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. It was built around 1630 by King Prasat Thong. The temple is kind of like Angkor Wat because it is Khmer style architecture.

Wat Lokaya Sutha: This place has a huge reclining Buddha. It's 42 meters long and 8 meters high.  

That's about 24 feet high and over 126 feet long!

That's a big Buddha!

In front of the Buddha is a smaller version. It was definitely more "our" size!

Wat Phrasisanpeth: Now this wat was built within the palace complex, and has three chedis. At one point, it had a 16 meter high standing Buddha made of bronze and covered in gold. It was destroyed when the Burmese invaded in the 1700s.

The core was salvaged, but is not reparable.

Next to Wat Phrasisanpeth is Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit.  

It's a Wihan, not a Wat. But I'm not really sure of the difference.

Me, neither, Captain. But this is where there is a really large bronze sculpture called Phra Mongkhon Bophit, or the Buddha of the Holy and Supremely Auspicious Reverence. The sculpture was made in 1538.

All around Ayutthaya, you might see the opportunity to ride an elephant. We do not recommend this activity since not all elephants are treated with dignity, respect, and kindness.

Wat Mahathat: Now this is the temple of the sacred relics. It was built in the late 1300s in front of the grand palace. Unfortunately, some of the site was looted before archaeologists could preserve all of the relics. The Buddha that has been swallowed by banyan tree roots, until just the head shows, is a popular place to take a picture.

It is really important to only take selfies when sitting so you head is lower than the Buddha head. That is considered respectful.

You also need to wear shirts with sleeves, make sure your knees are covered, and show respect.

When tired of being outdoors at all the ruins, because there are a lot more than shown here, go to the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. Here you will see some of the relics and items removed from the ruins to protect and preserve them.

 There is even more than this in the Ayutthaya area, but this is probably enough to get you interested in visiting for yourself!