Cycling in Sukhothai

Our oh so very long and winding road leads us, eventually, to Sukhothai. An old Siam Kingdom built upon an old Khmer site. The kingdom flourished for just shy of 200 years and whilst much smaller than Angkor is quite special. It is also a UNESCO world Heritage Site.

The site is a few kilometres out of town and we grab a passing song thaew to get there. It's oh so organised, you hire a bike at the entrance to the Historical Park get a lock and a map and away you go. It's been a while since I last rode a bike but thankfully the local car drivers are obviously used to wobbly cyclists and give us a wide berth.

There are Buddhas as far as the eye can see and lots of water makes for a very tranquil experience in spite of it being Thailand's most visited site. It seems many people only come to see the main central zone, as we've gone to another zone a little further away it's nice and quiet in the central zone when we return.

At one point we are passed by a little tram full of school children who all should 'hello' and squeal with delight when we shout and wave back. Let me tell you trying to wave, cycle and take a photo is really not that easy.

When we leave the site we walk back to the old town and visit a beautiful Wat on an island which houses a Buddhas footprint. It's not that far from the madding crowd but once again we find a tranquil spot.

A song thaew back to town for a walk and showers before heading out for beer and backgammon. my luck is not with me at the moment.

I do know I haven't been on a bicycle for several years and there are bits of me that feel very tender I think I may pay for it tomorrow, but it was absolutely worth it.