Our next stop was Wat Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relic). The entrance fee here is THB60 per person. I just learned from the internet that there are actually several Wat Mahathat in Thailand. This one in Ayutthaya is actually the former capital of Thailand before the Burmese destroyed it in 1767.
Some rules to follow to show respect for the temple ruins
This place reminded me of Angkor Wat in Cambodia due to similar architecture although I haven't been there.
The one on the left is somewhat leaning... (right) A buddha face that has become part of a tree's roots
Remains of a Buddhist temple with a Buddha still well preserved in the middle
More temple ruins
Among the headless buddhas
Posing by a colorful tuktuk and cooling off after staying under the scorching sun
It was hard to go around as it was very hot. We did not put sunblock and after some time masakit na sa sa balat.
A lot of elephants for ride (~THB500) are available right outside
Some pics along the way, a chedi and a tuktuk, a tram crossing a bridge and a fountain in the middle of a rotonda
A large swing by the entrance and some ship models
A view of the riverboats
More riverboats
Everyone was busy talking while I was busy taking pics
Finally the food!
We were served a lot of Thai food. Their dishes seem to look like Philippine dishes with some minor differences in terms of ingredients. The preparation and taste are somewhat similar although most Thai dishes are spicy. Just when we thought everything was already served, more were coming. It's such a shame that we were not able to finish everything. I think we only consumed about 2/3 of the order. We were so full.
Although there were still some stops supposedly for the afternoon, Rene and my companions decided to skip the rest of the itinerary and just go straight to Chatuchak weekend market. I would have wanted to see the rest of the itinerary but since it was raining I did not anymore resist. Our tour guide agreed to drop us off there instead. We got there around 1:30pm and it was sunny. We gave him a tip before parting.
Although there were still some stops supposedly for the afternoon, Rene and my companions decided to skip the rest of the itinerary and just go straight to Chatuchak weekend market. I would have wanted to see the rest of the itinerary but since it was raining I did not anymore resist. Our tour guide agreed to drop us off there instead. We got there around 1:30pm and it was sunny. We gave him a tip before parting.
A lot of people at the Chatuchak weekend market
The Chatuchak Weekend Market is huge. After looking around for some time and one of our companions getting lost, we asked a vendor where we can get a map. Fortunately he had one and gave it to us. We were there for around 3 hrs. The prices here are lower than the ones in Suan Lum. The outright price here is already the discounted price in Suan Lum. Although I still did not end up buying a lot here (which is our mistake). It took me awhile to decide what to buy so I just ended up canvassing here but later on buying things at Suan Lum. Our companions on the other hand were leaving the next day so they already bought a lot of pasalubong here.
Related Entries:
Welcome to Bangkok! (7/15/2008)
Day 2 in Thailand (7/16/2008)
Day 3 in Thailand: Shopping galore! (7/17/2008)
Day 4 in Thailand: Grand Palace (7/18/2008, part 1 of 2)
Day 4 in Thailand: Dinner River Cruise (7/18/2008, part 2 of 2)
Day 5 Ayutthaya Day Tour: Bang Pa-In Palace (7/19/2008, part 1 of 2)
Day 5 Ayutthaya Day Tour: Wat Mahathat (7/19/2008, part 2 of 2)
Day 6 in Thailand: Inside the Grand Palace (7/20/2008)
Day 7 in Thailand: Future park, Patpong and Suan Lum in one night (7/21/2008)
Day 8 in Thailand: University Life (7/22/2008)
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