Welcome to part seven of my photography mini-series, currently taking you on a journey of discovery through Thailand - The Land of Smiles. All of the pictures in this series will be taken from my various travels around the world. So, without further ado, I bring you part seven of my photography mini-series
entitled: A Picture Says...
After a mad four days in Bangkok, I decided to head north to Sukhothai to check out the ruins. I flew out of Bangkok airport at 8 am in a tiny provincial aircraft that juddered its way off the tarmac. The rest of the flight was surprisingly smooth and as we descended through the clouds to land, I glimpsed golden fields of sun-blushed grass, lush patches of forest and dirt roads snaking through the fields.
Back on the ground, the chirrup of crickets in the humid mid-afternoon heat lulled me into a state of trance and I promptly jumped a tuk-tuk to the new town. After a long argument with the driver who took me to a random hotel instead of the one I had asked for, I was dropped at my hotel. I had decided to splash out on a bit of luxury after the Koh San road hostel and it was nice to just chill in the pool for a day. After an evening wandering the local market and gaining some exercise running from a pack of local dogs, I was ready for the ruins in the morning.
Located around 427 km from the metropolis of Bangkok, Sukhothai is a small country town which is split in two, demarcated by the ruins. The new town is where all the hotels and hostels are, along with a bustling night market on the main street and some bars/restaurants. However, the main draw is the ruins, located in the old town which are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Historical site.
The monuments and temple ruins are spread out across a large area, approximately 193 ruins are scattered over 70 square kilometres of land. The best way to get around is by bike, which you can hire in the old town outside the ruins. It is a sweltering ride around the park, baked by the midday heat I began to swim through imagined memories flooding from the ancient stones.
The overwhelming impression was of peace, a reverent hush disturbed only by the passing tourists waving selfie sticks in the air like strutting peacocks. It felt almost like I was invading a forgotten stage where the actors were all ghosts, who had forgotten they had died.
Regardless of my sheepishness I asked a passing couple to take a picture so that I could join the worship at the alter of social media 😉
Selfie alert...
Fulfilled by the knowledge of having the obligatory selfie under my belt, I jumped on my bike and headed off to Wat Saphan Hin. This giant Buddha stands sentinel at the top of a two hundred meter tall hill which overlooks the plain of Sukhothai. As it is a fifteen minute bike ride from the main temple area, I recommend at least 2 litres of water in your backpack. When you reach the site there is a broken staircase to ascend which felt like a pilgrimage of attrition for my earlier selfie-sacrilege. At the top, a tree provides much needed shade and a single thrush serenaded my monumental climb as I rested and downed half of my bottle of water. You really get an idea of the scale of the ancient city and temples at Wat Saphan Hinfading, brown stone monuments dot the landscape stippled with groves of trees fading into haze on the horizon.
hereIf you would like to join a fantastic community where we strive to help new steemians grow and develop, why not join me at #promo-mentors discord group which you can find . I am one of the poetry/fiction mentors over at #promo-mentors, if you have any questions or need any guidance with either of these tags please don't hesitate to ask for me, @raj808.
Awesome series Raj! I like how you would intersect your travel with some tidbits of info.
Oh man I remember biking in Thailand and indeed it is so humid. We are almost in the same zone but its just hot there!
Thanks @maverickinvictus. It was such an amazing trip and my first experience of travelling. You're spot on about the humidity while cycling in Thailand, it saps your energy so much. It's kinda like riding a bike in a sauna lol. I'm glad your enjoying the journey through the picture says... series :-)
Sounds like a really fun trip. Great blog and travel photos. Makes me want to go there too. 😊
the picture says... series :-)Thanks @gillianpearce. Yes it was an amazing trip and my first experience of travelling. I'm glad your enjoying the journey through
Wow. Even more impressive then if that was your first trip @raj808. This is a really well written and illustrated tavel blog. Looking forward to more. 😊
Amazing scenery, the environment looks real peaceful
It was really peaceful @abmakko. Hot and humid but I got my weekly exercise doing all that cycling. Thanks for checking out my blog :-)
nice place! maybe once I ll go there too))
You should definitely visit @prostosun. I advise everyone to visit Thailand at least once in their lives. Thanks for checking out my blog :-)
Hey mate—this took my back to my own time in Thailand—thanks for posting—I had a similar experience out from Bangkok—can’t wait to get back to that part of world—keep on keeping on brother!
Thanks @alekosh. Yes, Thailand is a lovely, mental, high energy place. I really loved everywhere I went, apart from Bangkok for some reason. I didn't dislike the capital, but at the same time, after a few days I just wanted out to the countryside. lol
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Thanks @geke. I read that episode and was surprised and pleased when I saw my article. I hope you are well, maybe I'll see you round 'the isle' soon :-)