Bangkok Part 2 and Ayutthaya, Thailand

Chinatown

Chinatown was busy! The small side streets were all lined with rows of market stalls and people were cramming their way to them to see what was on offer (spoiler: mostly groceries and assorted tat). It was definitely an experience shuffling down some of the particularly narrow paths.

Lunchtime approached and we managed to find ourselves a little noodle vendor wedged down between two buildings. The food was good and cheap, happy days! I was particularly pleased with my purchase of a glass of Chinese ice tea for 5p.

Train to Ayutthaya

To get from Bangkok to Ayutthaya, we caught a train that cost 20B (50p) each! On the train, we met a Thai Man who happened to be an English language teacher so he asked if he could  practise his English with us! He was a really nice guy and he’d travelled a lot so he was able to give us some good advice/suggestions for our journey through Asia.

Our hotel in Ayutthaya was excellent. We had a spacious room with a large, comfy bed. Also, the owner was really friendly and helpful. 

Ayutthaya

We hired bikes from our hotel and made an early start visiting the most popular temples and ruins in the Old Town. It was really easy to bike around thanks to all the designated bike lanes on the road. 

The sights were breathtaking and a very different experience to Bangkok. After we returned our bikes, we headed to the 7/11 to get something to eat and to draw out some cash before heading to the sunset tour.

Our guide at the hotel suggested a sunset boat tour which included one of the most famous temples and ruins, Wat Chaiwatthanaram. It is meant to be similar to Ankor Wat in Cambodia. We made our way to a few other temples in the new part of town before arriving at the famous Wat. It was a really beautiful place to watch the sun set that evening before our long night train ahead. We then grabbed some quick food and some snacks before heading to the station.

We made our way to Ayutthaya station at 7.45 ready for the night train. 

We paid a little extra to have beds and air con and it was actually a comfortable train ride! We arrived in Chiang Mai around 7.20 the following morning feeling a little grubby but well rested.

Bonus!

One more thing from Bangkok! I met two dogs in a shop and we totally became best friends.