Windsor Resort, Lopburi, Day 1

We leave Ayutthaya today and head to Lopburi. We feel we are getting the hang of the trains, but are a bit confused when two come at very similar times. We board one and ask someone if it is the correct one. He nods, so we feel happy until the conductor comes and tells us we are on the wrong train. Luckily, we are heading in the right direction, and so we get off after about twenty minutes and wait for the correct one. Some helpful locals point out the right one this time, and seem to be having quite a laugh at our expense. All's well that ends well though, and just after midday we head into Lopburi.
Immediately as we leave the station it looks like a great place. Quiet, pretty, and a monkey statue as you set off the train sets the tone for what is about to come. We drop our bags off at the hotel and head out to look for the monkey temple. On the way we try and buy a sim card but realise we must have left Amy's passport in the room instead of packing it like we meant to. Luckily, she has a photo of it so she can give her passport number and get one sorted. Now we are armed with google maps and soon find our way to the temple.
We both expected to see a few monkeys, but what we see when we arrive is ridiculous. The surrounding area is covered with them, swinging on the electricity lines, climbing over rooftops and into the trailers of passig cars. They seem to run about this areas in the hundreds casuing incredible amounts of mischief. As we enter the temple itself we are told to put our sunglasses in our pockets or else they will grab them, which isn't the most reassuring thing to hear. The temple is almost forgotten as monekys are everywhere. They climb on people, sometimes painfully swinging on long hair. Amy is in her element and ends up feeding some with an orange. We walk around the temple three or four times, and go inside it once. Inside is shut off from the monkeys, so is a nice break from them jumping on you.
After the monkey temple we head to a fun fair right next door. It's loud and crazy and very fun. A bit like hull fair but with less polyester. One ride spins while a local boy does some very questionable dance moves in the middle. He has good balance, I'll give him that. Amy finds some baby guinea pigs and hedgehogs that I think are there just to be stroked and I get some chicken nuggets before we head back to the hotel. It has been a great day and we stop for beer and pizza pn the way.
As we arrive back we expect to see Amy's passport on the bed. It's not there, nor is it in the folder where we usually keep all that stuff. Frantically, the room is turned upside down, first by us and then with the help of the hotel staff. It's not in the room or any of our bags. The hotel calls the tourist police, who pick us up and take us to the station. We have heard the horror stories about Thai police, so we are pretty worried on the journey, but we soon learn there is no reason to be. The police officers are incredibly friendly and helpful, and big Harry Potter fans apparently. We write our statement before they translate it and take all our details. Next we go to the local police station who copy down our statement again, before we are ready to head back to the hotel. After the policemen ask us to pose with them for a photo outside, they drive us back. We go to sleep, with an alarm set for 6am to go back to Bangkok!Read more