Wat Phra Ram, Ayutthaya

Today I rented a bicycle and visited the historical sites in Ayutthaya. After having traveled for two months in Asian countries in which they drive on the left, I adjusted fairly easily to the traffic patterns.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Ayutthaya kingdom “flourished from the 14th to the 18th centuries, during which time it grew to be one of the world’s largest and most cosmopolitan urban areas and a center of global diplomacy and commerce” (UNESCO), until it was destroyed by the Burmese. At its apex the kingdom ruled over what is now the southern half of modern Thailand.

The archeological ruins include remnants of huge monasteries. Unfortunately the modern town of Ayutthaya has grown around and between the ruins, meaning that 7-11 convenience stores and shopping centers seem to be everywhere.

Kind of like assembling IKEA furniture — there’s always a part left over and you can’t figure out where it goes!

These babies were hiding in a small alcove at Wat Phanan Choeng, Ayutthaya.