SUKHOTHAI - SI SATCHANALAI
The Sakthong Resort
I did not exactly know where our destination point of the day was located and we soon found out that it was two kilometers to the south instead of the same distance north. Fortunately the Sakthong Resort was indicated along the road and we found our lodging for the day easily. We took an hour to shower, washed some clothes and prepared the stuff for the next day.
Ton Ooi Restaurant
There was no food available at the resort and we had to drive a couple of kilometers further to the Ton Ooi Restaurant, close to the entry of the Historical Park and along the track of the next day. The restaurant had some bamboo shacks with chairs and tables in the shadow opposite the road near a beautiful lake. Service was a bit slow - the poor girls had to run every time across the road - but the food was quite all right. After the meal we returned to the resort. The place had only eight bungalows, equipped with air-conditioning, fridge and satellite television, but the best was it had Wi-Fi. The owners were friendly and helpful.
Steve at the Ton Ooi Restaurant
In the afternoon we visited the southwestern area outside the historical park. During the heyday of the Kingdom of Sukhothai, back in the 14th century, Si Satchanalai was a sister city to Sukhothai, second only to the capital in terms of size, political importance and the splendor of its temples. Located on the banks of the Yom River in what is now Tambon Mueang Kao, the remnants of this sprawling metropolis and its laterite walls are still an impressive sight. The fortifications are very interesting as they consist of a triple defense wall with numerous gates and fortresses. Many of the larger temples built with brick and masonry - enclosed within a historical park - have been excavated and restored but of the royal palace, no traces remain. The temples outside the park are situated in lush vegetation and especially the ruins standing on top of a hill range running east to west, continuing across the river makes you feel a bit as Indiana Jones.
As dusk fell in, we returned back to the resort. As we were not very hungry, we decided to stay in the evening at our lodge, relaxing and drinking a beer at the reception. Tomorrow we have the first major climb in the offing ...