AYUTTHAYA

Just down the street from my apartment, next to my friend Oot's laundry shop, is a comic book store that is owned and operated by my friend Eee. Eee's daughter Cartoon is one of my students, and everyday after school she goes to her mother's shop and hangs out until they close down and go home for the night. Eee's niece Kate lives close by. Kate is around my age and speaks very good English. She stops by the shop a lot, sometimes to give Eee and Cartoon a ride home, sometimes just to hang out. Last weekend Kate, Eee and Cartoon took me on a little tour around central Thailand.

On Saturday we went to Ayutthaya, Thailand's ancient capital. It's a charming little city, full of old temples and ruins, and rich in Thai culture and history. Ayutthaya was the capital for over 400 hundred years until it was invaded by the Burmese in the mid 1700's, the city's treasures were looted, and the temples were left to crumble. Today, Ayutthaya's population is only a tenth of what it used to be during it's ancient pinnacle.

Our first stop was the Bang Pa-In Palace, which is actually a little ways outside of Ayutthaya. This massive compound has been maintained by the royal family for centuries and is now occasionally used for royal banquets and receptions. Most of the compound is open to the public and is full of ponds, fountains and gardens. We took a little stroll around here before heading into the heart of Ayutthaya. In the picture on the left is Kate, Cartoon, and Eee.