Exploring On My Own (with a guide paid to arrange everything and a driver to keep the AC running)

The title really says it all for this one. Saturday was actual independence. After having a lunch with the others at Central Market (a huge department store--think Marshall Fields, but with 5 times the money), I took the Skytrain by myself a few stations down to the MBK center. The MBK center is really like nothing I've ever seen. It is six or seven floors (I never did figure out how many) of completely random merchandise. A whole floor, that literally spreads for what feels like all of downtown Galena, full of cell phones. Another floor of all fake American, Italian, and British name-brand clothing. I'm not usually one for shopping, but I did enjoy myself. I bought a Coka-Cola shirt, except the writing is all in Thai and a soft, all cotton cut shirt similar to the one I wanted to buy in Turkey and that Uma tried to get me in India.

Sunday was more non-traditional tourism. I spent the day traveling to Ayudhya (spelled one of at least six different ways), which was the second capital of Thailand. It dates mainly from the 14th to the 17th centuries and was conquered (read: burnt almost to the ground) by the Burmese--a fact many of the Thai people seem quite unwilling to forget. I must recommend my method of travel to all. I had a private tour guide who led me around and told me all the history, and a private car and driver to quickly shuttle from one ruin to the next--in full air conditioning. The AC was actually necessary, as this was the hottest I have ever been in my life. My Lonely Planet guide highly recommended Ayudhya, but said to avoid it from 11am to 4pm, so of course I arrived there at 11 and left at 4--you all know how I love to follow directions. I have never been so sticky or grimy--ever.

The sites are, like so many things here, indescribable. They are so much larger than I imagined. And so much grander. We began actually outside of Ayudhya, in the Summer Palace--a name not really fitting as Thailand has no summer and the palace has no set scheduled use. It is still sometimes used by the royal family and was built by King Rama V aka King Chulalonghorn (the eldest son in the King and I--in case anyone was wondering, that working is almost entirely fictional). Running water and canals run through the whole complex. Here is the observatory:



We then traveled to about seven of the major ruined temples. (This was, in fact, quite impressive. Most people only see about four--I've finally acclamated to the weather, and the private driver helped, too.) Some temples are still used by the Thai people, many are not. This one is, and is Traditional Thai style:

An abandoned temple in the Cambodian style:

You'll have to forgive me not namig or going into too much detail. The names are all blending together, and I think anecdotes more entertaining anyway. Me at the most famous of Ayudhya's temples, whose three matching pagodas are the symbol of the city:

We had lunch at a traditonal Thai outdoor restaurant. Great food, and right on the lake. And by lake, I mean non-moving water where mosquitoes breed the size of owls and eat small children. The whole surface was covered by water hyacinth, so this picture really does no justice.







My guide spent some time as a Buddhist nun and strongly believes in the many Buddhist and Thai superstitions. I know now (and quite like) many of them. Each day has a color associated with it. I was born (I now know) on a Monday, which makes my color yellow and makes me a charming person. My corresponding sign of the Buddha is him standing with one outturned palm, calling for peace. (Incidentally, the King of Thailand was also born on Monday, and hence, most of the Thai people wear yellow on Monday.) I am great friends with those born on Wednesday (Green) and should marry someone born on Friday (I've forgotten the color) and should avoid those born on Sunday (Red). So those of you born on Sunday, stay away; those from Friday, let's have dinner.

We visited a temple where a statue's head has grown into tree roots. Legend claims it was hidden there from the Burmese, and raised by the tree.



To close, I would like to share a rather amusing, if embarrassing, story. My guide's name was Pudge (she was actually a tad large, at least for a Thai woman) and hence the nickname. I, however, have never been that good with names, and kept calling her Chub and Chubs, which, in my defense, are really very similar to Pudge. I don't worry; her English was not good enough for her to understand my mistake. The driver was also great fun--he spoke no English, but would laugh along with ol' Pudge and I every time we joked, though he had no idea of what we were saying.

That certainly got long. Best to all and keep in touch, Mike.