For those Temple loving Teds.

To be honest, I've put off writing about Bagan for a long time, a really really long time. Not because it wasn't impressive or it wasn't memorable, but the exact opposite. This place was fantastic! To this day we still argue which site was better, Angkor Wat or Bagan? Honestly, I still don't have a clear winner for you. I've put it off simply because I had too many wonderful photos to edit, and too many thoughts I wanted to write. I was simply overwhelmed. So tonight, I'm sitting down to  work through these thoughts and photos even though now they are more like faded memories. 

Bagan was the capital city of the Kingdom of Pagan, what is now known as Myanmar. Built in the 9th to 13th centuries it once contained over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries. Yes, you read that right… 10,000! At the height of Bagan's rule, it's believed that 200,000 people we're living in this city of 40 square miles. With only 2,200 temples and pagodas still standing it's still an unimaginably massive undertaking to visit this city. 

Our initial day exploring in Bagan was lead by a young kid who took us by horse and carriage. This was a wonderful decision since he spoke good english and was able to inform us not only about the sites we visited but his culture, language and the western culture he enjoyed. He even broke out into song singing for us on a few occasions. Somehow he even convinced us to sing him a song as well. We performed a little number by the Head and the Heart. We ended our night with a round of drinks on us before he took his horse home for some much needed rest.

On day two we ventured out on bikes and rode in the ever increasing heat. A few stops for ice cream and red bulls fueled us throughout the day. We visited as many Temples, Pagodas and monasteries as humanly possible. With an endless array of Buddhas of all shapes and sizes, impressive stone work, painted ceilings, and carvings galore. Bagan, truly is a special place which reminds you of the shear beauty and creativity humans are capable of creating.

Historic Ayutthaya

One of the great things about Bangkok is how easy it is to get out of Bangkok. We took advantage of this after only a few days and headed north by train to Ayutthaya. Founded in 1350, The historic city of Ayutthaya was the second largest capital of the Siamese Kingdom. The city flourished from the 14th to the 18th century before the Burmese army in 1767 burned the city to the ground, leaving only traces of the city's past size and splendor. 

Once we settled in our humble accomidations and found some breakfast we ventured out to find some of the temples dotting Ayutthaya. With names like Wat Chaiwatthanaram, Wat Lokayasutharam, Wat Ratchaburana, and Chedi Phukhao Thong we had plenty to see and do. I'm pretty sure I walked around with a grin from ear to ear soaking up all the beauty that surrounded us.

My final impressions of this side trip couldn't be more positive. The sites around Ayutthaya are beautiful and show how advanced the Thai people were so long ago. If you find yourself in Bangkok and can't stand the busy streets, pollution and hawker stalls jump on a train and visit this historic city. 

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