Ruins of Ayutthaya (Siam)

Rise and shine Chels, because it's time for the ancient city of Ayutthaya! I set out on a day trip to see the ruins north of Bangkok bright and early this morning. A quick taxi to Victory Monument, a mini bus and a few tuk-tuk rides later, I was there. If the ruins weren't enough already, beautiful rivers and streams flowed peacefully through the greenery, making the day a very reflective and relaxing one. Ayutthaya is considerably larger than I even expected. I only got to four of the six sites I wanted to, but I decided it was more important to take my time through my exploration than rush the time I did have. All the more reason to go back, right?!?

Ayutthaya is an ancient capital and modern city in the Central Plains of Thailand, and became the second capital of Siam after Sukhothai all the back in 1350! Throughout the centuries, the ideal location between China, India and the Malay Archipelago made Ayutthaya the trading capital of Asia and even the world. Merchants from Europe proclaimed Ayutthaya as "the finest city they had ever seen." Today, only a few remains might give a glimpse of the impressive city the Burmese must have seen right before their armies almost completely burnt the city down to the ground. Most of the remains are temples and palaces, as those were the only buildings made of stone at that time.