Behind nearly every girl’s picture-perfect Instagram post, I’d bet you there’s a patient sucker who’s taken dozens if not hundreds of photos to get that one perfect shot. I was that sucker this weekend. But luckily it meant whenever I wanted a photo, I was able to get one from cameras that are a lot better than my iPhone’s.

And though some may frown upon the excessive amount of photos taken this weekend, I think it’s an insight into the breathtaking impression that Thailand’s former capital leaves with its visitors. Ayutthaya is a city with scenery so grand that you just want to capture it and hold on forever.

Weekend Vibes

Friday. The day most people live for throughout the week. And this particular Friday had been circled on my calendar for several weeks. Not only was it going to be a five day weekend, but also the first opportunity to see some friends from week one that I hadn’t seen in nearly two months. As my last class let out, I bolted down the stairs to my apartment for a shower and to pick up my bag. I made my way to north Bangkok and looked for the bus to Ayutthaya. After bouncing back and forth between several stalls, I managed to find the right bus for myself as well as for a couple girls from Spain that had been looking but were lost because they couldn’t speak English or Thai. Ninety minutes of highway—with a good chunk of Spanish practice—finally brought me to the hostel in Ayutthaya.

Time to Kill

I texted my friends only to learn they were still about a couple hours away so I decided to look for some dinner. Google showed a market only a half mile away so I set out on foot. Big mistake. I had read about the wild, aggressive dogs in Ayutthaya but that warning eluded my mind as I ventured off. Not 400 meters into my journey, there were about 8 dogs tailing me. Then one started to bark and run so in a panic I took off in a full sprint and they followed suit. About 250 meters later they finally backed off and left me sweaty, huffing, and puffing. For my return, I made a much wiser decision to get back via motorbike taxi.

Klong Sa Bua Floating Market

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Tired from our journeys, my friends and I decided to call it an early one and rest up. Saturday, took us to Ayutthaya’s popular floating market. Although a bit over-the-top in terms of playing to tourists, the market was pretty cool and we certainly got our share of social media-worthy photos. Following an artistic dance and some lunch, a few more of our friends arrived and we set off exploring the city streets, which ultimately led us to drinks and pool at a pub called Street Lamp Bar & Restaurant.

Red Light Romance

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Not but a couple hours later, we found ourselves in a tuk tuk drunkenly laughing and singing Irish drinking songs on our way to the Grand Market neighborhood, Ayutthaya’s red light district. While none of us were looking for a love affair, the opportunity for it was clear on about every street corner. Instead, we picked out a bar with good tunes and pretended to know how to dance for a good hour or so until we learned of a club just down the street. In a scene very similar to the club in Lopburi, we danced to a mix of DJ’d music and a live band while also befriending multiple Thai people. Not your typical Nicholas Sparks scene of romance, but there was definitely a bit of magic to it.

Temples, Temples, & More Temples

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Plan A was to cycle around Ayutthaya to each of the temples but after realizing the distance required in addition to the heat, we resorted to Plan B: a tuk tuk tour. Our driver took us to the ruins of six different temples and we tried our best to capture the magnificence before us. It reminded me of the Roman Forum and even Rome generally. Every corner you turned, there was the ancient remains of something.

Beaten by the day, we kept Sunday night chill and wandered our way through conversation as English Premier League games played in the background. A few friends left early the next morning while the rest of us stayed and explored the city as well as another temple. As the evening approached we solidified a plan to meet up in Bangkok for New Years and then bid our farewells.

Quick Stop in Bangkok

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While we only had Monday off for holiday, I was given Tuesday off to sort out some paperwork in Bangkok to extend my visa. I ventured around the district near the US Embassy on Monday evening and found my way into Lumpini Park and then Silom, Bangkok’s red light district. (I swear I keep finding these places on accident!!) The next morning I dropped into a CrossFit gym before spending the entire day running across town to finish my paperwork. It was stressful at times but at least I know I won’t have immigration knocking on my door anytime soon. The weekend ended with a wild 10k motorbike taxi through the backstreets and highways of Bangkok. The added adrenaline rush on top of the weekend’s adventures had me sound asleep minutes after arriving home in Bang Saen.

The Wrap Up

If you liked this post then drop a comment below or share it with a friend! Also, I’d love to know: What inspires you to get to Friday?

Thanks for reading this post and as always, I encourage you to #gotravel!