Sukhothai

This past weekend Erin and I hopped a bus to Sukhothai, about 3 ½ hours south of Lampang.

We’ve chosen our weekend destinations strictly based on Lonely Planet’s ideas, and towns that usually appear on maps of Northern Thailand. I know this is less than ideal, and we aren’t exactly getting too far off the beaten path, but with the limited time we have in Thailand, (and the even more limited opportunities we have for weekend trips,) this is how it’s turned out. Sukhothai is a small province in the southern part of the northern region of Thailand, (Kao jai, mai?) It was the first capital city of Thailand, from the 14th to the 15th century, AD. It is a must for anyone interested in history. I’d say I’m minorly interested in history, but I was really fascinated by the site! The ancient town has been converted into a national park and is filled with ruins of more than 91 Buddhist temples (wats), contained in a 5 kilometer radius. Additionally, less impressive, stumpier ruins can be found throughout the town of Sukhothai, in the yards surrounding houses, along the main road, and in the jungle. In the States we just don’t have anything that can compare to the age and stature of the monuments, and it’s sort of breathtaking to imagine what sorts of things were going on within the walls 700 years ago!
Because the wats are spread throughout such a large area, renting a bicycle or motorbike is the best option. For 30 baht (90 cents) each, we got our hands on a couple of not so shiny and new bikes, and were ready to tour the town. Let me add that Sukhothai is EXTREMELY hot and humid, much hotter than our lovely Hangchat, and alas, the ancient wats have lost their roofs, so we had no coverage from the sun. By the end of the day I had a sunburn on my nose, hands, and forearms . . .classic bike burn.
Like I mentioned before, Erin and I were most certainly impressed by the rich history in which we were immersed. However, neither of us is what you would call a ‘history buff.’ There just has to be one more added element to touring a historical site . . .some sort of challenge, if you will. On high school field trips, this took the form of a question/information sheet, a task that must be completed as a site is toured. In Sukhothai we had no prepared questions. So, our task for the day became capturing as many photos of the two of us as possible. Of course, we were travelling without a third friend, (much to Pan’s dismay. . .”I worry about you and Erin, always.”) How would the task be completed? Ask a random tourist to take a picture? That would be the easy route. Plus, although Sukhothai is a popular tourist destination, the ruins are so spread out that often we were the only ones at a site. Hmmm. That only leaves one option, the most fun option . . .self-timer shot!!!
Ohhh such thought went into each self-timer picture! We had to lean the camera, just so, on each piece of historical rock, pillar, or platform. The self-timer allowed us 10 seconds before the picture was snapped, (there’s probably a way to adjust that, but I haven’t figured it out, and I secretly enjoyed the time restraint. . . it added to the challenge of the task!). Now remember, we wanted pictures of ourselves in, on, and around ruins. This meant that the button-pusher had to sprint, hurdle, climb, and make a ridiculous pose, all in the span of 10 seconds; a truly impressive feat, to say the least.

At one point, lucky for you, we mistakenly captured a video, rather than a timer shot. You can see the process in action:

We captured our fair share of misses, but I think the end result was well worth the dirt, bruises, and scrapes. Task, achieved; day, productive.


What else? We got lost a lot . . .our three maps didn’t always cut it. And we almost got attacked in one of the ruins by an ‘overly friendly’ Thai man. Last week with my classes we worked on comparatives and superlatives, so since I’m in that frame of mind, I’ll list some Wat superlatives:

Most Popular Field Trip Spot: Wat Mahathat

Wat with the most gi-normous Buddha: Wat Si Chum

Most Exhausting Wat to Access: Wat Saphan Hin

Wat Where One Is Most Likely to Get Groped: Wat Phra Phai Luang

Wat With a Smell Most Closely Resembling Vomit: Ta Pha Dang Shrine

After our long day of biking, exploring history, and snapping pictures in the scorching heat, we were hungry and dying to try the famous goo-ay dee-o Sukhothai, Sukhothai style noodles! It took us an hour of walking up and down the streets of ‘New Sukhothai,’ where we stayed, but we found them. . .and . . . I was less than impressed. It was almost exactly like the soup we eat everywhere in Thailand, but with Ramen noodles, chopped green beans, and a slightly sweeter broth. Ohhhh, Thailand, you get me every time!

A final note, if anyone ever finds any nightlife in Sukhothai, contact Erin and I. We spent both evenings listening to the Carpenters and Dolly Parton surrounded by nutty European backpackers. Ugh, I’ll take a Lampang disco please.

Nonetheless, another amazing weekend. I’m going to miss this place :(