Ayutthaya  (January 12 – 14, 2007) Arriving from Kanchanabury on an unexpected stop, we crossed countless rice paddies, some completely immerged, some with cake-dried mud and bright – almost fluorescent – grass growing.   White storks braving the makeshift scarecrows can be seen by the dozens.  Last year, torrential rains have forced farmers to create additional canals and side ponds in which to collect the excess water.  Men shoulder-high in the muddy water are pacing these ponds, threading water endlessly.  Not sure exactly what this is all about since they did not seem to catch anything.  Our guest house – the Baan Lotus Guest House – is rather an impressive mansion in teak at the back of a long garden with a pond.  A second house was in construction next to it, so business must be good.  And though we feared noises from the building site, these stopped swiftly at 5PM… to be replaced by a local band having a rock-pop-cat murdering gig at a popular guest house next door.  When this finished, the entire neighbourhood’s dogs started a convention until the local rooster decided to break the party and wake everyone else.  A peaceful night indeed.   Anyhow we took a very relaxing sunset boat ride along the city inner canals, occasionally stopping at a Wat of which the city has many.  Wat Phanang Choeng is a place of offering, be it caged birds, fish in tiny bowls and plastic bags to be released in the wild as a gesture of mercy towards animal life.  The most impressive thing was a gathering of hungry catfish of all sizes waiting to be fed in the river.  As soon as you start throwing bread or whatever other food purchased at the conveniently located stall on the pier opposite the temple, hundreds of these catfish start trampling on each other, frantically flapping the water and each other in order to get to the food.  Quite a sight!  Strangely fish end up being better fed than dogs in Thailand! Our boatwoman took us around smaller canals, backing onto people’s gardens, children fishing in the sunset with rudimentary canes or sophisticated fishing rods equally sharing the waters.  Another Wat and back in the barge to end up at the night market with its displays of kitsch mobile phone covers and dodgy-looking food stalls that smell so good at 7PM at night!   The next day we rented a couple of bicycles to tour the major temple sites of this ancient capital. Saying that these ruins are impressive is an understatement. At its prime, the park with its dozens of Chedis and Prang must have been a magnificent sign of power and wealth.  No wonder that the Burmese tried so hard (and unfortunately managed) to destroy them and steal their gold-plated decorations when they invaded the capital in the 18th century.  Off to Chiang Mai and the north of Thailand by overnight train… must be an interesting experience.  See you later!