At 7am we were back on the bus, heading north to Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand from 1350 until 1767, when the country was known as Siam. The city was founded by King Rama Tibodi I. Ayutthaya absorbed Sukhothai, the older Thai kingdom, and destroyed much of the Cambodian Khmer kingdom. The Ayutthayans also tried to control the northern kingdom at Chiang Mai but were unsuccessful.
The first stop was Wat Chai Wattanaram. It was built in 1629 by King Prasat Tong. This site was in good condition because when the bricks were originally made they were twice baked. 
The amazing thing about visiting this landmark is how we were allowed to walk all over it. The brick was very old and almost crumbling. Climbing on it could easily lead to personal injury or destruction of the monument. Yet we were allowed and encouraged to examine the ruins up-close and personally.
The amazing thing about visiting this landmark is how we were allowed to walk all over it. The brick was very old and almost crumbling. Climbing on it could easily lead to personal injury or destruction of the monument. Yet we were allowed and encouraged to examine the ruins up-close and personally. 
The next stop of the day was Wat Yai Chai Mongkol. This was built by King U-Thong in 1357. In 1592, when King Naresuan defeated the Burmese by killing the Burmese Crown Prince in single-handed combat on elephant back, he constructed the temple's large pagoda.
We shared the visit with several dozen Thai school-children. The school-children all wear yellow shirts, as do many of the adults, in honor of the king. Uniforms are mandatory for students all the way through university level. Students learn a little English in schools, but English is not necessarily the second language. The wealthy, populous neighbors like China and Japan also have a strong influence on Thailand. However, because Australia is so close, English is the most common of the European languages spoken in Thailand.
We also visited Wat Mongkol Borpitr where Thais were burning incense and anointing each other's heads with water scooped by a flower.
We visited Wat Phra Sri Sanpetch with three ancient pagodas. The day was getting very hot, and I was pretty miserable. However, it was still very interesting to see the layout of a Buddhist temple, and hear about the purpose of each of the different buildings.
We visited Wat Phra Sri Sanpetch with three ancient pagodas. The day was getting very hot, and I was pretty miserable. However, it was still very interesting to see the layout of a Buddhist temple, and hear about the purpose of each of the different buildings.
We continued north and stopped in Lopburi to see Prang Sam Yod. This is known as "monkey city." The city was abandoned hundreds of years ago, and became home to a large group of monkeys. When the people moved back they considered it bad luck to disturb the monkeys. Today about 2,000 monkeys live in the city. I held my camera very tightly in Lopburi, remembering our experience with cookie stealing baboons in Zambia.
We ended the day in Pitsanulok where we stayed at the Amarin Lagoon Hotel. Randy and I went for a short run to see the city.
The following day we went to Wat Maha Dhat Phitsanulok. This is were Melissa and I had our fortunes read. We shook a cup filled with sticks until one fell out. Each stick had a symbol on it that is referenced to a fortune. The stick you shake out determines your fortune. Melissa's fortune said she was like a small boat on the sea. She may be lost now, but she is blowing in the right direction. Unfortunately for Erin her entire fortune was devoted to describing how bad her lover was. My fortune said I'm like a tree. I am growing ever stronger, and I will always be successful. I never knew sticks falling from a cup could be so insightful.
We visited Wat Maha Dhat Sukhothai with its many pillars. 
We saw Wat Sri Chum with giant outdoor Buddhas including the famous Buddha with the golden hand.
We saw Wat Sri Chum with giant outdoor Buddhas including the famous Buddha with the golden hand.
We continued the trip to Sri Satchanalai, and visited Wat Phra Sri Rattana Maha Dhat Chalieng. At this stop there was a small footbridge over a tall gorge. A young Thai boy took Erin's hand, and for 10 bhat escorted her across the bridge and kept her safe.
We drove into Lampang and walked through the fresh market. On display were things like, whole, plucked, dead chickens, fresh squid, and ant eggs. This is where the Thais could buy all of the raw ingredients that make the delicious Thai cuisine. Thai food is best described as a cross between Chinese and Indian. They incorporate rice, sea-food, chicken, and beef. Yet the food has a spicy, curry flair reminiscent of India. Other elements of Thai culture such as language, ethnicity, and religion also seem to blend India with China. This makes sense because Thailand is geographically between China and India, but make no mistake, Thailand is uniquely Thai.
In Lampang Randy and I went for another short run, and discovered the city is surprisingly large. In the evening Randy, Erin, Albert, Melissa, and I found an open-air restaurant for dinner, and took horse drawn carriages around the town. We spent the night at Lampang Wienthong Hotel.
In Lampang Randy and I went for another short run, and discovered the city is surprisingly large. In the evening Randy, Erin, Albert, Melissa, and I found an open-air restaurant for dinner, and took horse drawn carriages around the town. We spent the night at Lampang Wienthong Hotel.
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