Walkaboutmonkey.com
A lot of funny stuff happens on the road while traveling. I vividly remember this one time in Ayutthaya, Thailand where we witnessed an incredible scene. The sheer ingenuity of a young backpacker when trying to rent a bike in Thailand left me both shocked and amused.
Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya was once an important center of power in South East Asia. Nowadays it’s still world renowned, because of the Unesco listed temple site. The transition from Hinduism to Buddhism that took place here from the 14th to the 18th century is clearly visible in the various architectural styles. Every year, tens of thousands of tourists visit Ayutthaya to admire the partly renovated temples.
The temple site is enormous with considerable distances between the individual temples. Therefore, the best way to explore is by bicycle and that’s exactly what we did. There are plenty companies that offer bike tours. However, we were on a budget so we just rented a bicycle to go it our own. Most guesthouses in Ayutthaya rent out bicycles for 30-40 THB a day ($1.25).
Cycling
From early morning until well past noon we cycled from wat (temple) to wat and finally stopped for an overdue lunch. Seated on the terrace of a guesthouse annex restaurant we enjoyed a fragrant massaman curry and fantastic views of the Wat Mahatat. I am still savoring my watermelon shake and contemplating the Buddha head entangled in a fig tree when suddenly I hear a loud noise….
