Odds & Ends

I finally left Kanchanaburi and am now in Ayuthaya, one of Thailand's oldest cities, with history dating back as far as a thousand years ago. I was definitely a bit sad to leave Kanchanaburi, eventhough it's a lazy, two or three day kind of a town. I experienced my first bit of south-east Asia rain... big, thick, dense, drops. It was cool to watch. Yesterday I went with Jang to a Thai supermarket to pick up some stuff for her bar and I gave her a crash course on American style drinks and mixers.

I still can't believe how ridiculously inexpensive things are over here. When I was in Europe, we would leave one restaurant and go to another because dinner would be $18 instead of $24. Here, it's comparing restaurants that are serving dishes for $1.75 vs. $2.25. It's a back packer's dream.

So, here in Ayuthaya there isn't much to do except go on temple tours. The ruins are actually quite fascinating because they go back so far in history. What was once Thailand's capital, Ayuthaya was overthrown by Burmese armies and destroyed. Just a few years later, however, a new capital was established in Bangkok, roughly 35 miles to the south. To see where I am, look directly north of Bangkok.