We took a bus from Sukhothai to Phitsanulok and then took a train to Chiang Mai. The train ride was about six hours long, but because we were in second class it wasn't too bad at all plus, we ended up having seats next to some very loud Australians that were quite entertaining . After arriving in Chiang Mai we took a tuk tuk, along with six other travellers, to where we are staying (it was a tight squeeze). After getting settled, we went to the Sunday Market that is near our hotel. Since the lantern festival is on right now, there are lots of tourists around, which made the Sunday Market chaotic. Even though the crowds were overwhelming, it was definitely worth it with lots of clothes, music, souvenirs, and food to buy.
We spent time relaxing and touring around Sukhothai. We didn't do a whole lot because Chiang Mai is going to be a bit pricy as we have lots of stuff that we would like to do/see. We did go out to another night market that was a bit farther away than the previous one. It was much larger and had tons of cheap food and there were tons of people as well.
We went to the ruins of Sukhothai which are located in the Old Town of Sukhothai (we are staying in New Town). Both of us agreed that these were the best ruins yet with their unique architecture and the amount of detail that was present. To explore the ruins, we rented pedal bikes from a shop across the street. There were tons of places to rent bikes in the area since there is such a high demand for them. There are lots of tourists around Old Sukhothai since it is the main reason tourists visit. After returning from the ruins, we enjoyed our first bowl of Sukhothai Noodle Soup which is Sukhothai's signature dish. We had a relaxing day today. We are staying at a small family run business consisting of a couple dozen bungalows, a restaurant, and a pool laid out among a garden setting. The resort's other guests are mainly European and we found it interesting learning that Southeast Asia is to Europeans as Mexico is to Westerners, being the popular place to go for a tropical getaway. After our breakfast of eggs, toast and fruit we went for a swim and relaxed in the sun. Nick got a Thai massage before we watched a movie and planned for tomorrow's trip to the ruins.
We travelled from Lopburi to Phitsanulok by train but instead of a third class train we took a second class train. In the second class trains there is A/C and seating similar to an airplane compared to no A/C and benches in the third class trains. Once we got to Phitsanulok we met up with a young couple from Germany and a girl from Quebec to all chip in some money for a tuk tuk to the bus station. We then took the bus to Sukhothai where our guesthouse is booked. We booked our accommodation in Sukhothai because it is a central location to get to Khamphangphet and Phitsanulok (an hour bus ride to each). After getting settled in our room, we checked out the night market which is just down the street from us and then came back to the guesthouse for a swim in the pool.
We visited the ruins of Lopburi and saw SO MANY MONKEYS!! I kept my distance from the monkeys but Nick was trying to get videos and they started jumping all over him like a jungle gym. It was all fun and games until one stole his sunglasses which were never to be seen again. The ruins in Lopburi are from the same era as the ruins in Ayutthaya. They weren't quite as extravagant but were still pretty spectacular. To get to the ruins we took a Sŏrng·tăa·ou which is a popular and cheap mode of transportation in Lopburi. It is a pick up truck with benches in the box and a cover over top. In Lopburi, they all seem to travel on one main road. They will take you anywhere on the main route for 8 Baht (30 cents) each and when you get to where you need to be there is a button in the back that you push that sounds like a horn letting the driver know you need to get off.
We walked to the local food store to buy some groceries instead of eating out. We then walked around the city for a couple hours and came across many monkeys. Lopburi is known as "monkey city" and it definitely lives up to its title. We saw monkeys crossing streets, on rooftops, and at storefronts. It was a little freaky seeing all of the monkeys for us, but is a regular occurrence for the locals. November in Lopburi is known as "Monkey Month". During Monkey Month, the monkeys are fed by the locals and during the last weekend of every November there is a festival attended by many travellers and Thai people where the monkeys enjoy a feast put on by the locals. In recent years, there have been around 2000 kg of food donated to the monkeys by locals who believe donating will bring them good luck.
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