Ayutthya Part 2

What a packed day it was! After lunch we took an hour long ride in a long boat, a motorized wooden speedboat, up a river to the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. Built by a king who had visited Europe and wanted to emulate the architecture he saw there. The grounds are huge, manicured and landscaped with topiary, formal gardens, and winding canals. The buildings are eclectic with classical European styles tinged with an Asian flavor.

















The most surprising moment for me was noticing what looked like a 12 foot long alligator walking down a canal bank and sliding into the water. I immediately thought of the hundreds of Thai schoolchildren swarming all over this place, and was gripped by fear. I raced up to a bridge and caught a photo of it. Turns out it was a Monitor lizard, a local giant from this area. How gorgeous is this skin pattern !



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