Little Sukhothai Surprises

I probably don't have to tell you again, but if it's one thing about travel that I like, it's the unexpected.  When everything goes according to plan, I almost feel let down, or even bored.  So, before we went to explore the ruins a Sukhotai, I refused to find any information about them.  I didn't want to see pictures or read descriptions.  I preferred to see and experience things for myself and have no preconceived notions about what it is "supposed" to look like.  In fact, before we went, a conversation with Bessie went like this:

Bessie: "Hey, take a look at these Sukhotai photos".
Me (hiding my eyes) : "NOOOO!  I don't want to see!"
Bessie: "But they look..."
Me (hands over ears): "Bla, bla, bla!  Can't hear you!"

While my technique may have been lacking maturity, it was sure effective.  When we spent 2 days at Sukhotai and did things at our own pace, according to our own whims, we made our own little discoveries and ran into some surprises that we never would have thought of.

Tourists?  Hello?  Anyone? Beuller?


Being halfway in between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, I figured that a lot of people would make a stop in Sukhotai to check out the ruins there.  After all, this was supposed to be the ruins of the first Thai society.  Plus, they were decently preserved and well maintained.  And most of the area could be explored on a $1 rental bike.  What's there not to like?

I'm not sure what the answer to that one is, but for whatever reason, we didn't see a lot of foreign tourists there.  In fact, on our second day when we rented a scooter to explore some of the outer ruins, we didn't see one tourist.  Good for us, I guess, but it's a shame for other people who are missing out.

Noodle Me


If there's one thing that makes me more excited than old ruins, it's food.  Actually, food may trump all.  I can't think of anything more exciting than trying a new dish.

Luckily, Sukhothai has it's own noodle dish, aptly named Sukhothai noodles.  It's a wonderful combination of sweet, sour, and spicy tastes and includes a blend of rice noodle soup mixed with crispy pork, garlic, green beans, coriander, chili, and peanuts.  Really, it's hard to go wrong with this one.

Pimp my ride


The thing that I don't like about most tuk-tuks in Thailand is that you usually sit in the back behind the driver in a little capsule that doesn't allow you to see much of what is passing by you.  In Sukhothai, they've gotten around this problem by putting the passengers first...literally!  As you can see, there are two benches in the front of the vehicle so that the passengers get the full view of what is going on or what we're about to run into.

Scout Camp


Not only is it a historical site, but the grounds of the park also contain an area for scouts to do their scouting.  I wish my scout camps were this cool.  I remember going to one camp that was near a lake that was used to cool a power plant.  It made for nice, warm, swimming water, but the smoke stacks in the background are no comparison to UNESCO historical sites.

When the 20 (literally!) buses passed by us loaded with scouts, we had no choice but to play the "hello game".  The game goes as follows:  they say "hello".  You say "hello" back.  They giggle shyly and speak to each other in Thai.  Someone else says "hello".  You say "hello" back.  More giggling.  And so on.  It's a good game where everybody wins.

Sukhothai After Dark


When we first visited Wat Si Chum, we noticed that they seemed to be setting up chairs as if there was going to be some sort of speech or performance.  On that hunch, we went back at night to check it out.

What we found was a rehearsal for a performance a few days later.  The Wat was illuminated dramatically so that there was now this gigantic shining Buddah looking over everyone there.  Also, because it was a rehearsal, we were able to sit wherever we liked, watch what was going on, and snap photos at will.  It was certainly one of the most beautiful things we have seen in a long time. 

What next?

I don't know what surprises we will find in the future or at our next location, but that's why I'm always excited to wake up the next day.  With the promise of each day being different and our path being undefined, we'll keep moving forward and see what little surprises can brighten our lives.