Aging Gracefully

Spent two days in Sukothai and another two in Ayutthaya, exploring the ruins. Sukothai is the most easily accesible of the two, as the Old City is a bit outside the city limits. One entrance fee and bike rental allows unlimited exploration within the Heritage Site, even though it is transected by canals and roadways.

Ayutthaya,on the other hand, has grown up and around and among the ruins and is a bustling full-blown commercial city that incidentally happens to have historic sites scattered here and there. Like many other tourist destinations, many of its citizens are markedly less friendly toward foreigners -- have heard numerous stories of travelers being deliberately misdirected when asking for directions, etc. From my own experience, when asked for admission ticket into the first several sites I visited, I asked if there were a ticket that would allow me into more than 1 site, and was told no- repeatedly. At the fourth one, there was a large banner showing the tickets available... including one which would allow entry into any 6 sites, for about what I had paid for only 3.

Sukothai has an air of reverance about it for all those who came before and left behind these substantial memorials. It is easy to visualize the layout of the entire metropolitan complex, judging on how the remaining buildings were placed. There are a few statues left, but most objects of any importance were removed by the state after robbers looted one of the prime caches in the 1950's. Only a tiny handful of their stolen treasures were ever recovered, which is a historical tragedy as the few that remain are evidence of incredible detail and value.

Ayutthaya lacks some of the reverence, but has more majesty just due to the sheer size of manyof the buildings. One of the smaller palaces is mostly still standing, and most of its walls and pediments are still intact. It is a little overwhelming to walk down the hallways that were once the main worship and civic center several hundred years ago. I could almost imagine hearing the swish of robes as I walked through one of the monasteries. The scent of incense burning at the shrines only adds to the illusion.

My favorite sites at Ayutthaya were two of the most famous. One is a temple constructed by a prince to house the remains of his father and the ashes of his two brothers who fought and killed each other in a battle for the throne. When officials opened one of the chedis, they discovered an intact stairway leading to the tiny belowground storage chamber. The walls and ceiling are painted with still-visible red and gold leaf, showing details of Buddha's life.

The other is Wat Maha Taht, the largest and most elaborate structure. Several of the towering chedis are decorated with figures from the Ramakien (the Thai version of the Hindu / Indian Ramayana, the mythology of Rama). One of the most intriguing objects is the head of a sandstone Buddha outside of the temple structure it presumably came from. An ancient Bodhi tree has grown up and around it, leaving this beautiful face peering out from a curtain of roots surrounding it. Rainwater has etched lines through the grime over the years, leaving light colored tracks like traces of tears across one cheek.