Ayutthaya - Lop Buri - Jan 19, 2009

Today was Temple Ruins Day!

I took a photo of all the names of the Temples so I knew which one they'd be - and a picture tells a thousand words so when they are posted up, you can check them out. What I can tell you is that there are LOTS of the them. And all but one ruin has all the Budda heads removed. We thought it may have being when the city was taken over and burnt 250 years ago, but the literature says that they were decapitated before they were protected sights by people and now are spread out through Asia in private collections. Considering Budda's basically follow most temple walls and are everywhere else - that is alot of Budda's heads!

I can also tell you that we broke most of rules before reading the sign - no walking on the walls, steps, behind the Budda's and half a dozen more things we did. Woops. We do have a lovely photo of Tim giving a Budda a head. The Thai people must have being fit because the steps up to the top of the towers are huge! No Oc, Health and Safety back then!

We then to see another Reclining Budda at Wat Mahatat - this one was a white one. At this Wat we did the Bamboo shake - and this isn't a dance! The shrines often have a container full of bamboo sticks, each with a number - kind of like pick up sticks. The idea is to shake the container until only one stick falls out. This stick is your supposed fortune. If it is bad, you have to get rid of it on the Temple grounds, or if its good you can keep it. Mine was so vague I really couldn't work out if it was good or bad, so I got threw it out before we left the temple grounds.

At Wat Chaimongkol we fed the resident turtles. We were given a bamboo stick and sliced banana to put on the end. This is also considered lucky. It was also at this Wat where I'm pretty sure we crossed the path of a monk - considered unlucky. However, in my defence, he wasn't giving a clear indication of his desired path when we find him standing in the middle of where all the paths cross over. We also stopped at Wat Chaiwatthanaram to see another Budda. As our guide Tong calls it, get out of the car, 'click' for a photo, back in the car.

Our drive to Lop Buri took about an hour where we are staying at the Lop Buri Asia Hotel - where you have to laugh if you read the Lonely Planet description of it. "The rooms go from lovely to depressing, so make sure you see a few before making your final decision." At least there was hot water! ;-)