Ayuthaya

Well today has been quite a day, I must say. We woke up and checked out, and took a bus to Ayuthaya.

We checked into the most perfect guest house EVER. It is called the Baan Lotus. It is run by this little Thai lady who was born and raised in the house with her 6 siblings. Best English I've encountered in this town. She is absolutely fantastic. Just so cute and sweet. The guest houses reside on a compound which is a slice of paradise to say the least!! We have a pond with lily pads and a wodden bridge outside of hour room. There are roosters and chicks running around, and the melody of frogs and exotic birds surround us always. It's incredible.

We wanted to see the ruins here, so Jordan and Becca (both knowing I've ridden a bike about one time in my whole life) said the best way to get around would be on a bike. So, I grabbed Bike #5: my lucky number and hopped on. It was pretty terrifying attempting to ride a bike in the streets here with cars and tuk tuks and mopeds all around. I did okay; walked it a bit because it was too frightening and I am far too unexperienced. When the rain got really heavy (as it's been raining almost all day) we stopped in a market and were definitely the only NON Thai people there. Nobody really understood any English. We got some food and then walked around until the rain lightened up a bit. It hits you and dries because of the humidity. I have to say I love rain here.
Anyway, we managed to get to the ruins; but I felt awful because Becca and Jordan kept having to stop and wait for me to catch up because I'd fall or wouldn't be able to go. We got to the ruins and WOW.
Absolutely incredible. I mean, it's an entire city. The ancient capital and it is just the most beautiful thing ever. I managed okay through most of it; but did take a few pretty bad falls. Thai people kept laughing at me because they could see how bad I was on my bike. :/

After about three hours, and a few really gnarly falls I decided it was best for me to leave them to keep exploring and to catch a tuk tuk home. I hated making that decision; but the ride back would have been so long, and the rain was pouring hard, and I just kept hurting myself. So Jordan got a tuk tuk for me, Becca lent me some money (as I took nothing with me when we left... the only time I've ever gone out without things) and hopped on.

I started to well up and feel like crying. It's frustrating for me when I can't keep up with others, and sometimes it can be a bit to take in: being this far away from home, and for such a long period of time. As the rain poured down hard, of the driver stopped at a guest house far from mine-thinking it was where I was supposed to be. And I tried to explain it wasn't and show him on a map, but he didn't have the correct map: and he didn't understand any English. At all. He and I walked inside to have somebody translate. Luckily the owner of that guest house was British and fluent in Thai so told him where to go and then looked at me and said: "He's an idiot and doesn't know, this is what I've told him to do..." Great! lol All alone, with no map, and nothing but 100baht and my driver doesn't know where to go.
I got back in that tuk tuk, felt a bit overwhelmed, and then when I started seeing familair sights a sense of relief. He got me home and all in one piece!

My legs were covered in mud and dirt and as I tried to wash them off in the shower, I felt quite a bit of pain and saw that under that dirt were lots of big bumps and bruises. Nice.
My legs look absolutely awful now. And they hurt because they're swollen a bit from the pedals of the bike crashing into me over and over again when I would fall. :)
I'm quite the trooper, though! I mean, I rode that bike on the roads here in Thailand with cars and other things, in the rain for three whole hours! I probably significantly fell about 5 times.

After showering, I got electricuted when attemping to hold my adapter in the outlet, improperly.

Ahhh you all better be laughing your asses off right now, this is just too typical of me and my life, aye? :)

So I started to write in my journal: as there is no internet at our guest house, and then just enjoyed the absolute beauty around me. No photograph or picture or description can properly capture the experience that I am having at the Baan Lotus, and in this town. It's so old! :) I definitely am so glad we got out of Bangkok.

The compound has gekkos, chickens and roosters and their chicks, dogs, love birds, and so much green! It's a nirvana. I'm in love with this place.


We're supposed to be hopping on a 10 hour bus ride tomorrow to Chang Mai. Hopefully the weather will not get any worse. Although, again, I cannot explain how much I love love love the rain here.