But back to the issue on hand - trains and temples were always going to be the main theme of this part of our trip. And believe us - they were.... We got more than we bargained for, especially on the train front. Only one of the train legs we did (from Khao Yai to Ayutthaya) was running smoothly, the other two train journeys were delayed. From Ayutthaya to Phitsanulok (the station from where one takes a bus to Sukhotai) by approximately an hour, while the train journey from Phitsanulok to Chiang Mai became epic (estimated travel time seven hours, real travel time closer to fifteen hours, including a three hour delay on departure and some further delays due to engine failure which left us (and 200 other travellers) stranded for a few hours in the midst of night in the middle of nowhere). All of this meant that a journey which is amongst the most scenic routes in Thailand was now completely covered in darkness. But on the upside - Thai Railways provides good food on board, so one doesn't get the chance to starve!
Both Ayutthaya and Sukhotai were once the capital of Thailand, with all the splendour and grandeur that came with this. In their heydays, these cities covered vast areas, built up with palaces and temples. What is left now, is mainly ruins, but very pretty ones. To cover the distances in both cities, it is advised do this by bike, so we did (much to Nicola's delight).Especially as the walk from the train station to our Guest House (which didn't look too long on the map) turned out to be a thirty minute work-out fully packed at the hottest time of the day (being stubborn, even though we were hassled repetitively by tuk-tuks who offered to take us there, but hey, once you start something....).
Both cities have a 'Historic Park', which contains most of the important temple complexes. Sukhotai, however, was our favoutite, as it gave us the chance to get out of the main (more tourist) areas and cycle across the country-side in pursuit of temples.
On the food-front, this gave us also the chance to get stuck into 'real' thai food (instead of the slightly westernised versions that were served at Khao Yai). We tried the green papaya salad (which apparently can be accompanied by sticky rice and dried pork - very nice!), such a delight that we have had it several times since. And we had mussles accompanied by the spiciest dipping sauce ever (which JP kindly tested by dropping a mussel in it and eating it!).
The accommodation was a tale of two halves - both were reasonably priced and good quality. The one in Ayutthaya being a student dorm (taking us back some time, although Thai students turn out to be the only people with digital TV in their rooms). The one in Sukhotai a fantastic small wooden guest house built in traditional Thai style, with a garden filled with plants and fish ponds.
The owner of the guest house gave us a lift to the bus station in Sukhotai, from where we began our supposedly easy journey to Chiang Mai. More of which in the next entry.....
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