Day 5: Morning brings another form of transportation to the old town and the Sukhothai Historical Park, also a UNESCO World Heritage site, where I’ll spend the next couple days exploring by bike.
I bid adieu to my hotel and one of the staff drives me towards the center of New Sukhothai to catch the “blue bus” for the 12 km trip to the old town. The bus is not a bus by any sense of the Western imagination, it’s a songthaew, or a converted pickup with benches. There is quick conversation (quick because I don’t speak Thai) and some pointing (on my part) at a map-ish sign to signal that I’d like to be let off before the park. I pay my 30 THB and hop onboard quickly since it’s raining and we’re off. I’m the only one onboard when we leave, but we stop at random places along the road to pick up more people, and I soon have a lot of company. My plan is to drop my bag at my hotel and then go explore. At some point, we stop, and the driver points at me and then the gazebo, so I get off. So far, so good, right?
I’m staying at the Vieng Tawan Sukhothai Guesthouse for the next two nights at about $20/night. As I look around I see signs pointing in the right direction. My gesturing at the map has served me well, and I set off walking along the side of the road. There’s not a lot of room to walk, but there’s not a lot of traffic either, and it’s maybe a 10 minute walk.
I check in, and leave my bag because my room isn’t ready yet. They assign me a bicycle and point me in the direction of the park. There’s nothing adjusted or inflated correctly about this bike, but it’s a zillion degrees out, so a little peddling gets you a little breeze, so it’s all ok.
The Sukhothai Historical Park is an easy 1 1/4 mile ride away. Tickets are 100 THB per zone that you intend to visit. There’s also the Ramkamhaeng National Museum if you need a cool escape from the sun (and some interesting exhibits). Ready to go to the park? Check out the next post…
