Backpacking IndoChina Day 2: Ayutthaya, Thailand

After grabbing a quick breakfast, we headed to a pharmacy since I wanted to buy some loperamide in case my tummy acts up on the train to Ayutthaya. I was having a hard time trying to tell the person manning the counter what I needed so I motioned to my stomach and when he asked what’s wrong with it, it got even more difficult. I don’t dare use the word “diarrhea” as he might not understand me so instead I mentioned both the brand and generic names only to be met with a confused stare and more questions.  I wondered whether I should start scrunching up my face and act like I’m in pain while clutching my abdominal. I was just about to launch into a full acting mode when he said ” oh for diarrhea?”. Good Lord! That was totally my bad. Anyway, I got 10 pills for 90 Baht.

We set off for Hua Lam Phong train station and initially we wanted to catch a ferry since we figured it’ll be cheaper that way  however we can’t find the right pier. As luck would have it we happened to ask a local who speaks very good English who told us to just take the bus #53. A few minutes after we jumped aboard one and were told they were heading back  and we should board the ones going the other way. Twenty  minutes later I spied one coming our way so there I was almost in the middle of the road waving like crazy for the bus to stop. It went right past us. I was confused, I’m pretty sure they saw us. By this time I was getting impatient, irritated, and just about ready to break our travel rule of “no taxi unless really, really needed”. We were losing half of the day and I was ready to throw the towel in. It was then that I noticed a bus stop signage. It was really conspicuous one won’t see it unless you’re really looking for it. It dawned on us we’re no longer on Philippine soil where you can just flag a bus anywhere. A few minutes later we were finally on board Bus #53. We paid 6.50 baht and we were ecstatic since a taxi ride would have set us back around 200 baht. The bus stopped and we transferred to another one and just showed the first ticket to the bus conductor. I’m not sure if it was just a coincidence but both times, the conductors were both female.




We got to Hua Lam Phong train station just in time and got 3rd class tickets to Ayutthaya for only 20 baht. Although the tickets indicated a number, there were really no assigned seats so we just sat down wherever we wanted. We should have given it more thought as it became unbearably hot we should have chosen to sit right beneath the ceiling fans. Since I was seated by the window, I was thankful for the occasional gust of wind but my friend who had the aisle seat was sweating profusely. Oh well, I guess we got what we paid for. Other than the heat it was a pretty comfortable ride. The coach was clean, the toilet looked like any other you’d see on a Southeast Asian train. The trip must have lasted around 2.5 hours and we arrived past 2 but since we know by now that the sun doesn’t set til past 7, we know we had more than enough time to see several sites. We left our bags at the train station for a small 10 baht storage fee and negotiated with a tuktuk driver who agreed to give us a ride for 200 baht/hour.

 We visited the following attractions for a fee as indicated:

1. Wat Yai Chai Mang Khon  ( 20 baht )
2. Wat Chai Wathanaram  ( 50 baht )
3. Wat Lokayasutharam  ( free )
4. Wat Phra Si Sanphet ( 50 baht )
5. Wat Mahathat ( 50 baht )
















Overall we finished the tour in about 3 hours. It was already past 6 but still a bit warm so I bought an ice cream cone for 20 baht. After that was the search for spicy chicken with basil for dinner as we vowed not to leave Thailand without trying that dish.  We must have tried 5 different places with no luck. Fortunately, we saw a food stall with a photo of it displayed. At least it looked like it. The menu was all in Thai so we had to call the owner and his boys outside the cooking area to point at the picture. Best chicken dish ever. After dinner, we decided to spend our remaining bahts at a convenience store and tried their vitamilk for 13.50 baht then headed back to the train station to freshen up a bit. Use of the wash area cost 3 baht and if you want a roll of tissue you have to shell out another 2 baht. It was time to play the waiting game for our train to Nong Khai.



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