Friday, 18/08/2006, Bangkok
Finally, after over 3 month, a Schnitzel…
Today I decided to visit the old capital of Ayutthaya. I took the train out of town, a pleasant 3 hour ride. Thai 3rd class is by far more comfortable than Indian Second! From the railway station in Ayutthaya, I avoided all the riksaw drivers („Too far to walk“) and walked the 50 m down to the river where I took the ferry to the other side.
I rented a bike for the day, which avoided both an annoying driver and sore feet from walking. If only they drove on the right side ;).
Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand before king Rama II decided to build a new one, Bangkok. Ironically, he tried to copy many temples and palaces from Ayutthaya in Bangkok… Right next to the ruins lies today’s city of Ayutthaya, not very big, with a bustling market which I unfortunately had not the time to enjoy (or „enjoy“, I don’t know).
I sure saw a lot of ruins that day, I think it will last me for a while. I will spare you the details, but take a look at the pictures when I get them online. The ruins are truly impressive, and spot some hidden treasures, such as a underground chamber with old wall paintings.
And the schnitzel, you ask? Well, after returning my bike, I decided to take a little stroll through the city. That’s when I discovered the „German Restaurant“, a small restaurant led by Peter, a German expat. He makes a good Schnitzel mit Bratkartoffeln, and I had a nice time there talking with Peter and another German expat (the drunk New Zealander at was quickly shown out :)).
After catching the train back to Bangkok, I checked the bus connection into Cambodia for the next day, and had my fina; dinner at the Dubliner, an (duh!) Irish pub right on Sukhumvit road. Their (admittedly pretty expensive) steak is probably the best you can get in Bangkok!