Day 9
• The only late-start day in the entire trip – not scheduled to leave the resort until around 1000 • Kevin and 老詹had been up just as early as all the other days, however • Explored the display of the resort’s unique and very interesting collection of artifacts. They include antique furniture, paintings, posters, and figurines of all sorts and all sizes, especially those from Marvel movies. • It does not appear that these artifacts and the architecture of the resort share a purposely designed or a unified theme, but taken in as a whole, I saw a harmonious quirkiness in it. Definitely loads of fun! • Nearly all guest rooms are built of wood with metal roof immediately next to or surrounding large old trees – mango trees, jackfruit trees, or some flowering trees • Wat Yai Chai Monkhon, the temple with the tallest chedi in the city • Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Ayutthaya’s most sacred royal temple, with 3 large chedis • Saw some tourists riding elephants nearby; I had lost any interest riding them long time ago • Lunch at a seafood restaurant in the Ayutthaya Central Market near the intersection of route 32 and route 33 • These restaurants are known to have the best fresh river prawns (400฿/Kg) and other seafoods; we had 1.5 Kg of prawn among 4 of us, plus clams, mussels, fish, and desserts. The owner lady also treated us to some local specialty crepe with stringy caramel candy (roti sai mai), 龍鬚糖絲春卷 • After a short break back in the resort after a big lunch, we started the boat ride around 1600 to feed the rescued elephants somewhere at the west bank of Pa Sak River, a tributary that runs in Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya • We fed them bread brought in the boat; the elephants seemed to enjoy it a lot, taking in all the food from us and another boat but giving the money (apparently, they could easily tell the difference) to the kid trainer • Difficulty taking quality photos as we approached the elephants in a boat from the riverbank directly facing the setting sun; luckily Kevin was able to get a few good shots • After the elephant feeding, we continued the boat ride to Wat Chaiwatthanaram, at the west bank of Chao Phraya River, for the renowned sun setting views of the temple and the reflection in the river; the sunset was 1751 that day • Practiced sunburst techniques learned from Kevin, some results are better than others • Skipped dinner because we still felt full; had beer and snacks at the resort and had a pleasant video chat in the evening with 黑鬼; missed him so much
