Day 70 - Temples of Ayutthaya

Quang and I rented bicycles again today to ride around the city and check out the ancient temples that remain so close to the daily activity of the city. We only had to ride one block before reaching one of the most famous temples - Wat Ratchaburana. I could already tell by my first impression that I would very much enjoy the sightseeing today, as it would be filled with walks and climbs atop ancient temples with lots of grassy areas to walk and contemplate peacefully.

It was amazing how easily accessible and close these ancient structures were to the locals. You could walk in the park and come across small Wats idly sitting in the same spot for the last 600 years! My country isn't even old enough to house many structures that old, and here they are, outside and across the street from some hotels, homes, and restaurants!

We spend the rest of the day enjoying the city, before having to leave by minivan back to Bangkok. One of the tour agencies notified us that there was a bomb threat on the train tracks earlier today and that the train schedules might be backed up, so it was only wisest to take a bus or taxi back. We took her advice, sadly, and left this beautiful town much earlier than anticipated, heading back to Bangkok and to the airport to sleep for the night before each of our respective flights out the country.