Traditional Thai historians believe that the history of the Thai people and the country itself began when two brothers began their rule in the area in 1238…
It later became part of the old Kingdom of Siam, present day Cambodia, and was under the influence of the Khmer Rulers…
Our first stop was at this statue of a seated Buddha...
I was sure he was looking at the Big Fella and itching for a ride...!!
The brothers built the city of Sukhothai which became the capital of a vast area, and together with their descendants, ruled there for the next 200 years, until 1438…
They propagated the Theraveda Buddhism sect as the national religion, and introduced the Thai alphabet…
The remains of the Wat Sorasak, and the Chedi surrounded by statues of Elephants...
The original brickwork is crumbling around the statues... The pastered statues still retain much of their detail however...
The ruins of the area cover almost 70 square kilometres, but most are concentrated in what is now known as Old Sukhothai, about 12 kilometres east of the new city of the same name… Without entering the Historical Park itself, you are able to take in many of the ruins that lie outside it, and within the boundaries of the town itself…
We rode around the main complex, stopping at the ruins of various Chedi’s, or temples, situated in the park like areas that surround the town. We were able to ride our bikes off the roads and among the ruins, along the many footpaths leading to and from the ruined temples and stupas…
Entrance to the ruins are via four main gates, but only one of them allows for bicycles and scooters...
Willi looks for more food, while I stand melting...!! Despite the overcast skies and light clothing we wore, we were still sweating bullets...!!
"Did we want to rent a bicycle...??" Yes, ...just as soon as I poke myself in the eye with a sharp stick...!!
We parked up against one of the many moats that surround the central area where most of the temples are located...
Close to this sign which neither of us could decipher...!!
The old walled city is the most popular site, and contains the ruins of 21 separate temples, separated by ponds covered in water lilies or lotus flowers as they are known here…
We were allowed to take the bikes into the park itself, which we found a better proposition than hiring a bicycle or hoofing it…!!
Surrounded by many smaller shrines, Sukhothai's main temple stands in the middle of the Central Zone...
Massive statues of Buddha stand on each corner of the temple...
Most of the temples and statues are falling into disrepair, and a few of them will probably collapse entirely in years to come…
They were built using mud bricks, which were then covered with plaster… Much of the plaster has been eroded away but the effects of hundreds of monsoon seasons, and the mud bricks themselves now lie exposed to the elements, speeding up the destruction of the structures…
Strking the pose, GB respectfully requests for a larger dose of patience to deal with Willi...
Many important Buddhist Festivals are celebrated here, the most famous being that of Loy Krathong, the festival of light, which takes place over nine days in October and November… It is apparently a very special occasion, when the temples are floodlit, and the candles set to float out on the many ponds and canals…
Plaster is slowly being worn away to expose the underlying stone and brickwork...
We spent the better part of the morning exploring the area, and riding the quiet country roads surrounding the old town… A constant stream of buses offloaded group of backpackers, and collected others that had spent a few days cycling or walking through the ruins…
Reflections in a lotus-covered pond...
By Midday we had packed up and were ready to roll… We opted to stay on Route 1 until we reached Lampang, then head north-west for Lamphun and Chiang Mai…
Considering our “misunderstandings” from the day before, this time I left nothing to chance, and questioned Willi closely about where we were going and more importantly, exactly where we would be staying…
Willi rides in a short sleeved cotton shirt, cargo trousers and sneakers, while I am in my full Rally-Pro kit and heavy riding boots… No guessing as to who has the cooler ride…!!
The municipal offices governing the village that surrounds the ruins...
At low speeds, I am cooking in my gear, even with all the vents wide open, and I need to ride at speeds above 85 km/h to be comfortable in the heat… Although Willi managed to ride at close to 80 km/h for a while, I knew he would already be thinking of where he would stop to either, eat something, drink something, refuel, or just stop for the plain hell of it…!!
We stuck it out as long as we could, puttering along at 75 km/h, before the Big Fella said, "Bugger this for a joke...!!"
I wanted no part of that and with 350 km to Chiang Mai, and five hours of daylight left, once we were out of Sukhothai, I waved goodbye to Willi, and lit the afterburners…
©GBWT 2011
Sounds like this post was cut short – hope to get an update soon.
Above comment must have interrupted your upload. Great post – such beautiful history. A pity it is all crumbling – are they trying to preserve any of it ?