BANG PA-IN PALACE
First stop of the Ayutthaya River Sun Cruise is the Bang Pa-in Palace.
"It was under a Bodhi tree that the Buddha attained Enlightenment."
I hope I looked that tall in real life. *cries*
"After the Burmese raids in 1767, the Palace complex of Bang Pa-In was laid to waste and left abandoned for a long time. King Mongkut (Rama IV), who reigned from 1851 to 1868, started a revival of the palace. Most of the buildings as they stand today were created by his successor King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who also expanded the area into the magnificent sprawling Versaillesque gardens between 1874 and 1899 with features of European-style architecture." (read more)
"Phra Thinang Wehart Chamrun, the only building open to commoners, is a Chinese-style palace and throne room, with marvellous ornamental tiles, heavy ebony furnishings, gold, silver and porcelain delicate fretwork and a red lacquer interior." (read more)
WAT MAHATHAT
"In the past, it was the venue of important royal ceremonies and celebrations....where the Ayutthayan Kings 'made their offerings to the gods and prayed for the welfare of the country.'" (read more)
One of the most iconic images of Thailand
"The temple was destroyed by the Burmese who also vandalised many of the Buddha images in Ayutthaya by lopping off the heads. Nobody knows for certain how the Buddha head became entwined in the roots of the tree. One theory suggests that the tree simply grew around the Buddha head during the period when the temple lay abandoned and overgrown." (read more)
When taking a picture, it's important to be in a kneeling position so as to not be at level with the Buddha's head. Thai people are really religious so it's best to respect their beliefs. After all, we're just visitors of their native land.
WAT NA PHRA MEN
"In the mid-eighteenth century, the king of Ayutthaya signed a peace treaty here with the king of Burma, but a few years later, in 1760, the Burmese attacked Ayutthaya. They got as far as Wat Na Phra Mane, where they set up canons to fire on the king's palace." (read more)
WAT LOKAYASUTHARAM
Funnily enough, that orange cloth was actually just a covering since the structure was being fixed but we didn't mind, it suited the Buddha. Lels :P
Nothing much can be seen in this place aside from the reclining Buddha but again, we didn't mind. It was quite a sight anyway!
Thank God, the rain arrived after we finished the tour. It took us less than three hours to arrive at the cruise where a buffet was waiting for us.
Again, thank God for letting the rain stop so we can fully admire this view!
Chao Phraya River
Of course, we can't end the day without some authentic Thai street food.
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