Ayuthaya – Ancient Capital
Sunday, my second day in Bangkok, my friend Tony had booked a wonderful full-day tour for us to Ayuthaya. (Thanks again, Tony, for everything — if you’re reading this!) Ayuthaya was the capital from 1350 to 1767 or something like that — so at least by Chinese standards, it’s not so much ancient as old. But it’s definitely very impressive and beautiful, and one learns a great deal about Thailand by reading this. (The city was attacked and sacked by the Burmese, for example.) The Emerald Buddha Temple/Grand Palace complex you saw earlier is modeled after one of the temple/palace complexes here in Ayuthaya, since Ayuthaya represented a political and cultural high point in Thai history.
Buddha at Home
This statue is inside one of the stupas (I think that’s what it’s called…not really sure whether the different architectural styles have different names) shown in the various shots — up the steps you’ll see shortly.
Flowers on the Steps
Flowers on the Steps
Originally uploaded by paulbrockmann. These steps lead up to a room with a Buddha statue inside. I climbed them…see next photo.
(so much world, so little time....) 