Ayutthaya - yet another city of ruins

After the visit in Sukhothai, we felt that the ruins of Ayutthaya, the kingdom succeeding Sukhothai, was the logical next stop. Since it is located between Bangkok and Phitsanulok (well, a lot closer to Bangkok, but still on our route), this was a convenient stop over.

We went by train again, trying the 3rd class this time. Travelling third class in Thailand is really cheap, we payed 130 Baht (about 3 euro) per person for a five hour ride. It is an adventure to travel with the locals, but the fun ends just about when your back starts aching from the hard wooden seats. The difference to 2nd class is huge (and the price different is not big). It was a nice experience, but really not the best decision. Since trains always seem to run late in Thailand, our 4,5 h trainride turned out to last for almost six hours.

The biggest difference between Sukhothai and Ayutthaya is that the latter still is a functioning city and not just monuments from times long past. The ruins in Ayutthaya are a bit more ragged than the ones in Sukhothai.
For those of you interested in a brief history lesson:
The Ayutthaya Kingdom existed between 1350 and 1767, when the city of Ayutthaya was destroyed by the Burmese army. This was the 24th Burmese attempt to capture the city, which was the home to about 1 million people at the time.

Ayutthaya Historical Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

The city was hit pretty badly by the flood in November and December and you can still see some traces of the destruction caused. Most of the temple ruins however are fine to visit.
We spent two days exploring the city and the ruins by bike and here are some of the highlights:

This little fellow and his brothers and sisters were playing among the ruins

Evening light over Ayutthaya Historical Park

One of the most photographed sites in Ayutthaya