Flat Pete adventuring in Thailand

Flat Pete felt in need of a new adventure. 

He jumped into my daughter Anna’s backpack and hitched a ride on her trip to Southeast Asia. 

Pete seems to have a penchant for visiting old cities and soaking up the history of ancient sites. (Read his adventures in Ephesus, Turkey.) 

He was delighted that his first stop in SE Asia was Ayutthaya, an ancient city in modern Thailand. 

Ayutthaya was the centre of a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1371 - 1767. During this time it had trading relationships with many countries including China, India, Japan, Spain and France. During the 17th century the king of Ayutthaya had strong links with King Louis XIV of France. Ayutthaya was said to rival Paris in terms of size and wealth. 

The historic city of Ayutthaya was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 and is actually on an island. Pete had to hop on a small boat that took locals, tourists, and, sometimes, live chickens across the water. 

Pete explored the ruins of the ancient palaces, and wats (temples). He marveled at the unique design of the buildings and imagined kings and queens participating in elaborate ceremonies.

Not one to stay stuck in the past, Pete learned about the ancient ruins with modern technology. 

A day of exploring works up an appetite for a blue cat. A little local treat was in order.

 

Roti saimal is a pancake filled with Thai-style cotton candy. Anna had made Pete very excited to try it as she had been craving it since her last trip to Thailand 8 years earlier. Pete developed quite a taste for it, and was disappointed that he could not find it anywhere else in Thailand.

Luckily, his favourite ice tea was available in every 7-11 on every street corner. Perfect for rehydrating in the hot weather!

 

Now, like all cats, Pete likes a good cat nap in the afternoon and being in Ayutthaya was no different. Jet lag had other ideas and Anna and Pete’s cat nap turned into a 7 hour snooze. Oops!