Six hours on a bus and we're in Sukhothai

So you read about my random decision to go to Sukhothai. It was well worth the trip (and the purchase of a tripod, which I had bought the previous day but was starting to regret). I got on a 9:45am bus and arrived around 4pm, checked into a neat little guest house, got something to eat and promptly rented a motorbike by which time it was about 5pm. I decided to disregard the official opening hours of the Sukhothai Historical Park (7am - 6pm) and went there anyway, figuring it's Thailand and if the ticket booths don't catch me, they can't make me pay. I got there a little before sunset and was well-rewarded with beautiful soft light and a hazy orange/purple sunset.




Turns out there was a festival/convention going on inside the park grounds, for Thai alternative medicine, massage and herbal healing. Lots of massage stands, people selling herbal compresses and of course the mandatory food stalls!! I was one of about 3 farangs I saw the whole time I was there. At around 7:30pm I was hanging out with some Thai girls in front of a wat who were getting these giant paper lanterns ready to light. They're the ones you light a fire underneath, and when the air inside gets hot enough they fly into the sky. Very cool! At one point, the people on stage said something exciting and lit a whole lot of fireworks, which was the signal for us to start lighting the lanterns. It's a lot harder than it looks - if your lantern isn't hot enough it crashes and burns, or alternatively crashed into the pond in front of you and goes out, and all the Thai girls laugh at you. Overall it was really fun and I'm glad I got to see the lanterns!!

That's me with the backpack on the left - yay for tripod and self timer!

Ewen - this one's for you!

Sukhothai was the ancient capital of Thailand in the 13th and 14th centuries. Nowadays it's a collection of ruins, some partially restored, some with giant Buddha statues, mostly concentrated within the square city walls but also some pockets of ruins outside the walls. I spent most of the 2nd day driving around checking them out, very glad with my decision to rent a motorbike and not a bicycle. By about 9am the heat is stifling. I gave it a good go, but after getting up at 6am, by 11 I was well and truly OVER IT. Stopped off for an iced coffee and ended up getting a massage ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh :) Then a long and painful 6 hours on the bus back to Chiang Mai, feeling pleased with myself that I'd accomplished something.

Wat Si Chum

tee hee hee :P

I have a few more days here to do some admin, then heading up to Laos on the 31st. Woo hoo!!!!

ML x