Sukhothai - A place of ancient wonder...

After a very quick and pleasant 4 hour bus ride with the locals, we arrived at our next destination: Sukhothai. We found ourselves dropped off at the Old City where we stopped to have some lunch and met a Scottish couple in their 50’s who were also travelling around the world. We talked about our experiences thus far and gave each other some advice on places to go and stay. It was interesting to find a couple who is 20 years older than us doing the same thing we are but at the same time having different experiences than us. Chris and I have talked about what it would be like to do a trip like this again in the future (perhaps not this lengthy) and how different it would be. Even if we visited the exact same places we are now, our experiences would be so different as we would be in a different frame of mind and different part of our lives. That is the great thing about travelling we have realized, that no matter how old you are or what stage of life you’re in, there is always something to take away from travelling.

We found ourselves in front of Ban Thai, a familiar setting for Chris as this is the place where he had stayed eight years ago during his studies abroad in Thailand. Chris had spoken fondly of this guesthouse and kept telling me that it was full of warmth and comfort and the people running the place were very genuine and warm hearted. We arrived to find the place fully booked and the only rooms available were those with a shared bathroom in the recently built quarter. For those of you who know Chris, know that he is definitely not a “shared bathroom” kind of guy. Thus far on the trip, we have been able to find accommodation at a decent price with a private bathroom but this time, we were both willing to make an exception as this was a place we both wanted to stay. That and the fact that the bathrooms and the rooms were spic and span made our decision that much easier. So we booked into a fan room for an amazing 150 baht a night ($4.55 CDN) – now that’s what you call a GREAT DEAL.

Bungalow at Ban Thai

Eating and relaxing area

According to Chris not much has changed in the last 8 years at Ban Thai with the exception of the newly built dormitory style hut. The six old bungalows are still in the same condition as before, the kitchen and eating area are unchanged and the tasty curry, tom yum soup and shakes were just as tasty as the first time. The old cook still remembered Chris from his times spent studying there. The overall atmosphere was very relaxed and comfortable and it felt like you were visiting family. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly and were more than willing to help you plan your days in Sukhothai. They even offered us free shakes upon arrival and also one day gave us free fruit for no reason….haven’t experienced that from any other guesthouse/hotel as of yet. This was the generosity that Chris remembered and it is something that made him want to come back and experience this with me. Part of the warmth and charm was also found in a small book that the owner had handwritten information in to help tourists plan their activities as well as provide advice and insight into travelling. I enjoyed flipping through the book and reading everything this well traveled owner had to say but in particular there was one passage that seemed to jump out at me more than the rest. I found it very meaningful and although it seemed so simple and true, it’s something that we sometimes take for granted. I enjoyed the passage so much, I copied the excerpt to share with all of you and with fellow travelers:

“Something has really changed the last years in what the traveler really wants. Ego based comfort (what is comfort?) seems much more important than local lifestyle or culture. Guesthouses become more and more business orientated rather than providing a room to a traveler, a back packer (a pack on your back!!?)

It is sad to see that this very comfortable, high standard even posh Western lifestyle can not be forgotten for a while or be missed.

It is sad to see the struggle of locals because they are not ready for it but forced because of the needs of the market.

It is sad to see how self centered the world is becoming and forget all about our fellow humans all over the world or fail to understand ones cultural differences.

I will end this message with writing once again that I do not teach nor judge but advise for the sake of human contacts.

So please travelers don’t take the fast pace of your everyday life in the West with you on your holidays…enjoy traveling, experience traveling, learn from traveling.”

~Baan Thai Guesthouse, Sukhothai

Setting at Ban Thai

We spent two nights, three days in Sukhothai although there is not much to see here except for the Sukhothai Historic Park in the Old City. We decided to stay an extra day to unwind and relax as we enjoyed the accommodation and were in no rush to leave.

We rented some bikes to wander through the Old Historical Park, which consists of many temples and smaller wats dating back eight centuries. Although it is not as massive as Angkor Wat, it still holds great interest and historical value. We spent an entire day biking through this area and taking some great shots. Our favorite was definitely the Wat Si Chum, also known as ‘Buddha in the Box’ according to Chris. This is a 15 meter high Buddha statue confined in a box made of concrete. A thin slit allowed you to view part of the Buddha from afar only to entice you to investigate further… Upon entry into the box, a sense of grandeur and awe overcomes you as you look up into this massive figure so subtle, yet so sublime; so simple, yet so profound as the relationship between you and the Buddha becomes the experience. The box represents the universe in which the Buddha is a part of but even the universe can not contain him for the architecture of the box does not speak of confinement as the shape of the box conforms to the shape of the Buddha. We spent a good three hours admiring this piece of architecture and nothing else in the park seemed to compare. Below are pics of our favorite wat along with some of the other historic sites at the park.

Riding our old school bikes

At the entrance

Buddha in the Box from a distance

Unreal…

Larger than life

The hand of greatness

Talk about inspiration

All that is divine

Touching divinity

Images of Wat Sri Si















Images of Wat Mahathat









Although there was not much touristy wise to see in Sukhothai, I found our time in Sukhothai to be very relaxing and rewarding. Not only did we enjoy our day in the Old Historic Park, but I really enjoyed staying at Ban Thai and experiencing what this guesthouse had to offer. It is these kinds of places that you come across once in a while along your travels and is a place you HAVE to recommend. I enjoyed sitting in the open restaurant and soaking in all that was around me from the beautiful setting to the locals working in the establishment and the genuine care and love the establishment gave to us. Both Chris and I would highly recommend this place to any traveler who is thinking of going to Sukhothai in their travels. Not only will you enjoy your time in Sukhothai but you will almost adopt a new family in a sense…what more could you ask for from a small town. (Ban Thai – 38 Pravet Nakhorn Road, 055-610163, http://www.geocities.com/guesthouse_banthai)

Before we head on to Malaysia and then our three week tour in China, we decided it was time to take a vacation from our vacation so we are now headed to the south of Thailand – the blue waters, the white sands and lots and lots of sun and fun. We decided not to go to the west as we were not sure if they had fully recovered from the tsunami and had heard through other travelers that only the large resort hotels had rebuilt quite quickly and the budget accommodations were nowhere in sight. Due to this, we decided to hit the east side this time and visit Koh Tao – an island known for its diving and snorkeling. We can not wait to just hit the beach and get some R&R for a full eight days. Watch out Koh Tao, here we come….

No Buddha was ever harmed during this photoshop session