Naveen’s Travel Blog

07/02 - Day 6

Getting out of Ayudhaya 

Finished with Ayudhaya, i was about to start to the next city “Sukhothai” in the northern part of Thailand. When i arrived in the Ayudhaya railway station @ 8.30 am, i find that the morning “sprinter” train (the fastest one @ 9.45 am) to Phitsanulok (near to Sukhothai) was full and not making any reservation was a mistake.

Never mind, i quickly go to the government bus station and catch an a/c bus in next 10 mins to Sukhothai. Its 6 hours compared to the train, which reaches in 3 hours but if one goes by train, he has get down at Phitsanulok and take a bus to Sukhothai, so its actually 4 hours.

Bus travel to Sukhothai

As soon on the bus, i call by my local mobile the first budget hotel listed on lonely planet guide and they say they have a bungalow with a private bath for 300bt. And i confirm my booking to be checked-in by 4 pm. As simple as that…

The thai youngster seated next to me doesn’t know English and was shy to make any replies. So i spend the whole travel slipping between my iPod and sleep.

At the sharp, 12 noon, the bus banks into a motel for lunch. Its a food display where you can choose anything and the price is paid at the end of the counter. I take rice, some vegetables, a well-fried fish and bull’s egg. The fish was very spicy but as usual, the flavour offends me, so i skip i finish the rest. Surprisingly all other passengers have left their plates with only half-eaten and it seems i’m only one who have had the most !

The government bus seems to be in no hurry and drives at normal speed. The roads are very good but slowly the 8-lane highway narrows into a 1-lane road before it recovers just before Sukhothai. I reach in exactly 6hr 15min and bargain a worn-out Tuk-tuk for 50bt. The accomplices of the old tuk-tuk driver were not happy, they doesn’t want me to do this bargain. But i prevail and the old tuk-tuk driver was infact well okay with that.

Ban Thai Guesthouse

As i get down from the Tuk-tuk, the friendly hotel staff was waiting outside to welcome me and she takes me directly to the bungalow. Now, a bungalow doesn’t mean any luxury, its just a separate small house with its own private bathroom. (Many guesthouses in Thailand have only shared common toilets). Its the smallest room, with just a little space after the bed but i’m happy with the homely atmosphere of the hotel, the garden surrounding the bungalow, all doors and windows were fenced with insect-proof frame and the bath has a hot shower. Thats it for me !

The ultra-friendliness of the hotel exceeds and thats why it has qualified to be the first recommendation in the lonely planet guide. I was taken straight to the bungalow, no reservations, no advance rent or nothing. When i enquired the staff, they told me its enough if i pay on check-out and reluctantly gave me a registration slip. The guesthouse seems to be run by a large family which is everywhere, there is no clear separation of the guest area as it was in the previous guesthouse. The reception, the restaurant and the family tv room were all the same, a large airy hall.

Bicycle Tour

After a quick refresh, i ask the staff for the bicycle tour noted in my guidebook and they are more than pleased to make the call for me. The Sukhothai bicycle tour was run by “Ronny” a belgian who have been staying for the past 15 years in Thailand. Ronny comes in a motorbike to pick me up to his home where already another 4 persons are waiting to start.

So we start for a 2 1/2hr eco-tour of the neighbouring villages and never-seen farms and non-tourist places around Sukhothai. The tour is guided by a Thai girl, Am and all five of us follow in the offered mountain bikes.

Well, the whole of yesterday i was touring Ayudhaya in a bicycle but this was different because we are cycling non-stop for more than 2 hours around a rough terrain; paddy fields, tobacco farms, tobacco processing farms, little villages, rope bridges across rivers etc etc. It was a good break from the monotonous monuments and ofcourse a good exercise for me to fully sweat it out.

Am has a good sense of humour; as she explains the rised walls along the banks of river which were 2 feet once and now around 6 feet; and after few years one doesn’t need to visit China for the Great wall but Sukhothai’s river banks will have them ! Then when she explains the paddy grains, she introduces us to the delicacy of Sukhothai - the rat meat and cobra soaked whiskies.

The most interesting part of the travel was the all-out greetings showered on us throughout the whole drive.

Dinner at Ban Thai

Finally i find a dish that couldn’t be spicy or offensive for my sensitive nostrils. It was on the recommendations of Ban Thai menu, Womong curry made in southern Thailand style with coconut milk, tamarind with large pieces of sweet potatoes and chicken served with rice. The strange mixture was good and flavours indian.

Thats a full day well relaxed with comfortable travelling finished with a hectic cycling and decent dinner.