Impressions

Sukhothai means “the dawn of happiness” and holds a unique place in Thailand’s history. Until the 13th century most of Thailand consisted of many small vassal states under the thumb of the Khmer Empire based in Angkor Wat. But the princes of two Thai states combined forces and in 1238 marched on Sukhothai where one of them defeated the Khmer garrison commander in an elephant duel. Installed as the new king of the region he founded a dynasty that ruled Sukhotai for nearly 150 years. Through military and diplomatic victories they expanded their kingdom to include most of the present-day Thailand and the Malay peninsula.

By the  mid -14th century Sukhotai’s power and influence had waned, and Ayutthaya, once a vasal state, became the capital of Thai kingdom. Sukhotai was gradually abandoned to the jungle. If it wasn’t for a 10-year restoration project, started in 1978 and costing more than $10 mln., there wouldn’t have been the Sukhothai Historical Park:

We took a regular bus from Chang Mai city Arcade Bus station and it took us about 6 h to reach destination. If Bangkok is 700 km from Chang Mai, Sukhotai is 427 km north of Bangkok, almost in the middle of our return way to BKK. Which means that it takes 6h in a bus to cover 270 km…Pretty slow drive…Though the roads are not bad but sitting there on the second floor of that double bus you feel like you are hardly moving. The tickets cost around 300bt each. It is two times more than the price of the tickets you buy in Khao-San road. But in that case you can buy only for certain destinations and keep contact with them in order to know where are their buses leaving from. The prices for transportation there don’t bite at all, wherever you buy them. And you get better rides for more expensive tickets. lets say – the trip from BKK to Chang Mai was in a bus without shocks…12 hours of bumping…

This particular bus entered the area just through the Old town Sukhothai – where the history was. Once of a sudden the old stupas appeared here and there close to the road side. That was it, we left the bus and went to look for the hotel tat our Canadian friend recommended: Old City Guest house. It was worth staying there. The guest house rooms were built around a cozy square:

with the little altar in the middle – in case someone wants to please the Gods, the room was big, clean, comfortable bathroom and shower. After spending a week with a shower poring directly onto you toilet and having the floors wet for a while there – it was wonderful to have a spacious bathroom with a separate shower place. It was like a little center – with several hotels, restaurants, shops and bike rental places (the main city is 9 mi away):

Bicycles are especially popular there while trying to see all parts of the Historical capital. It is a pity we didn’t experience them and left it for the next time. It was a very pleasant stay, very good meals in the nearby restaurant Coffee Cup, nice people, good atmosphere. The park entrance was close by that little town center. Although the sun was setting I still eagerly went to see the ruins that were spread wide in the vast parks – I wouldn’t call them jungle, would you?:

Maybe that is what the restoration  effort turned the jungle into -a spacious park.

The weather there was clearly more humid than in Chang Mai and it was hard to breathe or move fast even in the very late evening. But there were almost no people, one miserable pregnant and very hungry cat – she had only one eye…, lots of hungry but peaceful dogs and the darkness setting onto the trees and temple ruins:

It is hard to imagine the grandeur of the city in its golden age…Harder to understand why people abandon so many already built buildings and go somewhere else to strive for survival and build again…Still they don’t quite abandon those temples here – there are fresh candles and offerings.

A new temple surrounding an old stupa in the town center – there is a Buddha’s foot print under  glass in it:

The hardest part in Sukhothai was to find a bus stop to go to BKK…Funny, isn’t it? I asked everyone, then checked a little map of the town on a building that looked like a bus station  -we waited there because the map said that this is the bus stop. it never stopped. It was evidently a block down – by some shop – no logical reason to understand – why was it in such a place?  So we missed our bus, had to take their songthaew – that crazy “animal wagon” to get to the New City Sukhothai to a real and big bus station and from there we tried to reach Ayutthaya, but the bus stopped some 6 km from the city and it was our last evening, so we decided to stay on the bus and reach BKK, our belloved Khao San road and feel a little more of its atmosphere. Actually it is not the Khao San Road that we liked, but other roads in that area, that I even don’t remember their names. There is like a cirkle of them behind a temple, that faces Khao San road, towards Phra Artit road – a very lively, cozy, backpackers’ area:

You don’t have the big city feel there. So the next morning I walked a little towards the Kings palace in the streets I already know buying still some presents and nice things and off we left to the BKK airport which is very modern:

but also has Thai decors:

beautiful modern spaces:

And flew back home via Taipey in Taiwan:

Los Angeles, and believe it or not – Salt Lake city…:

Once we reached LA – the plane was late by half hour, then we had to take our bags. check through customs and run like crazy to another terminal. So we ran…like crazy…Over there after going through their security we found out that our seats to Las Vegas were sold…Big disappointment after 3 hours flight to Taipey and 12  hours to LA…Luckily they gave a a hotel room, so we rested and early morning rushed for a flight to SLC, then another flight to Las Vegas. which was also delayed…A very long and not easy trip home…But in a week I recovered and already wanted to go back .

The last trip we did while in Chang Mai was up the only mountain close to the city to the temple there-  Doi Suthep.  it is not on top of the mountain, just on the way to the top. Somewhere in between. The road was winding up for a while in the jungle and here it was a usual market place where we got out of songthaew  – their transportation that I call “animal wagons”…But in reality they are converted pick-up trucks with two benches in the back and a metal roof. The ones that take you to Doi Suthep are parked on a street by the North Gate of Chang Mai Old town walls.

It was Saturday. As I noticed the most celebrated day by Thailand Buddhists though they all say that in their religion all days are the same, they don’t have a special day for temple and rest – like Christians have Sunday. But somehow Saturdays were always crowded with people in temples.  Once you get off the transport in that market area – you have to carefully look around to figure out where the gate to the temple is. There are Buddhas everywhere and you can get confused. Here is how the stairs up that place on the mountain slope where the temple is look like:

And when you reach it – there are two terraces around the temple on lower levels with activities going on – trade, as usual, dancing, selling tickets for non natives, monastery with rooms for discussions, toilets, etc. Yes, toilets have a very important part in their temple grounds – they always are there, always clean, so it makes the visit more pleasant and comfortable. So before you go through the third gate and stairs to the highest level   – there is an enclosed yard where lots of dancing is going on. And that part was the most impressive to me:

I think those girls were close to 15 or even 16, very gracious, tiny and slim with beautiful clothes – they were like temple princesses:

The other kids were also dressed up and singing. Usually there was one star -the really talented dancer, whose poses, movements of fingers and eyes were standing out. But at least those older girls had breaks in between each dance, they would go away. get a drink, sit somewhere. This next little girl – to me she looked like  a toddler – she danced non stop all the time we were there. So beautiful so graceful so well acting, that I couldn’t  be interested more in anything else. Those girls to me are the top of Thai culture – to be so strong, composed, coordinated, while still a child, I couldn’t believe in such a spirit…

For some dances she had other girls dancing with her but none of them came even close to the main girl’s movements. poses, facial expressions, none:

I wish this little “ballerina” has a future better than her country can provide her with…In moments like this I wish i worked in movie industry. Maybe I could find a way of getting her into staring in some movie, or getting into some good dance group.

There were other types of performances – like drumming:

and as usual – lots and lots of sculptures:

while on the very top level of the grounds where the golden stupa was in the center – supposedly with some ashes of Buddha himself – the crowds were walking and walking around the stupa with a lotus flower, some candles and some incense sticks in their hands.:

After going back down to the city, it takes around half hour to go back – I still walked around bearing the heat. Noticed an old stupa by some temple on the other side of the mound – so I managed to cross the busy street, which is not so easy, no traffic lights, the cars are driving like in a stream. And here I heard a strange music , saw an interesting and beautiful temple complex:

with some creative artsfrom local branches on the walls:

But the main point was a strange structure by the corner of the yard on dusty grounds, with cars parked close by-which I distinguished as a  wake. The coffin was with that same roof that their temples have and all surrounded with color matched chrysanthemums, other flowers, with a little table in front which had a picture of a deceased young man and some food on plates for his spirit:

Nobody was close to tat coffin, except for the loud speakers set up on a car broadcasting their national music which had joy and sadness all together:

Deeper under the trees, in the shade, fro the heat in sun is unbearable, there were tables set up and a group of people eating, who I assumed were the participants of the funeral. I saw the caterers gathering their stuff and closing up the eating part but was not sure how long will other ceremonies last so i didn’t wait for the funeral to start. It was really very hot. Like my friend said – you are a prisoner of heat there during the daytime.

And here is  my last picture of Chang Mai:

Poor huts, fancy temples and a lot of electrical lines…

(to be continued)