Stray - Bangkok to Chiang Mai Part I

We drove by mini-bus, with Keo and our group, north out of Bangkok to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya. Once a trading and cultural hub, it was sacked in the 17th century by Burmese soldiers, resulting in the capital moving to Bangkok. Sited upon an island surrounded by a river's tributary, the ruinous remains are now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Once arrived we boarded a shallow wooden motorboat to course our way through the grey soup, thick with water lilies. Locals fished with rods off the banks as our small boat's engine thumped past, knocking their lines in its wake. The breeze generated by our motion temporarily cooling us.

At a functioning temple site images of the Buddha were laden with offerings from pilgrims, who thronged around the golden glow of the giant statues under a haze of incense. Squeezing past we could not help but feel our interest in such scenes wane due to our increasing exposure to them. Yet further down river we marvelled at the ruins of an ancient temple. Wandering the scarred terraces of terracotta and crumbling bleached bone, our imaginations were held firmer than by the golden regalia of the functioning temple. Despite the desecration by the Burmese soldiers and centuries of erosion, the design remains impressive. We wondered how different it and the city may have looked now, had it not been destroyed nearly 400 years ago.

After stepping off the boat and piling into a tuk-tuk, we ventured to the city's market, where hundreds of small stalls sold fresh snacks, fruits, meats and fish. Some were recognisable but largely it was an alien and fascinating display. We ate rambutan, the red alien skin peeling back to reveal a white grape with the texture of a pear. Alex also tried Sum Tam Salad, a very spicy sauce made from the shavings of baby papaya, which kicks at the back of the throat on the way down.

After a dinner of Yellow Curry and 'Morning Glory' (a stir fry of green vegetables in chilli, garlic and oyster sauce) we took another tuk-tuk out to the train station, where we waited patiently in the still quiet of the platform for our overnight train to Chiang Mai. A distant thunderstorm lit the horizon and a pack of stray dogs broke the silence with a barking chorus.

When the great diesel train thundered into the station it was far too long for the platform, meaning that we stumbled along the dark track to find our distant carriage by torchlight. Hauling ourselves and rucksacks up into the high steps of the 2nd class carriage, we found our berths within its brightly lit and air conditioned confines. Each with an upper level bunk, ours opposite each other, this was our bed and home until the morning. After our experiences of overnight coaches in Australia it appeared complete luxury.

The train squealed out of the station and built up a steady 'click-clack' on the tracks. Our bodies bounced lightly on the crisp white linen as sleep found us.Read more