Travel to Sukhothai...[Entry #18: July 7, 2011]

[Above: The view of the hotel that I didn't have a booking at.]

Entry #18: July 7, 2011

        Today I decided to travel to Sukhothai, which is much further north then Ayutthaya or Bangkok. In fact depending on the map you look at its about 1/2 the distance northwards towards the top of Thailand. Also it happens to lie fairly close to directly in the way of Chiang Mai which is my goal for later this week. I opted to take breakfast in my hotel at Ayutthaya before setting out for the day. I found myself scrambling to get my bags packed and out the door though to try to catch the bus headed for Sukhothai, luckily the bus was running a bit late and I managed to secure a seat. There seemed to be some confusion about charging the ticket via credit card, so if you plan on traveling by bus in Thailand I suggest just paying cash, the ride cost me 350 baht = a little less then $12 US for a very comfortable, air conditioned ride which took around 6 hours. I would say the service is comparable to greyhounds or the like back home, but honestly I have never actually tried them so I don't have a very good frame of reference. What was interesting is the trip included a paid for meal along the way where we stopped at a bus junction and could pick a plate. It was still a bit early so I opted to just grab a drink and relax because I tend not to eat alot when I travel anyways. I find this cuts down on any undue 'complications' that could occur during transport, and is just my preventative measure that I have learned is prudent. The trip went well, and passed quickly, there was even a TV playing Thai pop music along the way, I didn't get the name of the pop singer, but they looped like 10 of her music videos together and played them through twice. Most of the trip I just stared out the window listening to my Ipod, and managed to catch a quick nap along the way. I highly recommend traveling on the commercial buses for long journeys, well worth the small expense!

        Really the only complication in traveling thus far in my journey happened once I got to Sukhothai, I explained to a taxi driver the hotel I wanted to go to, and even told him the address. He told me the journey was going to take a while and would be expensive but we finally agreed on a reasonable price and I was off (450 baht = $15 US for about 35 KM of travel). We arrive at the hotel without any incident, but when I attempted to check in they told me I had no reservation. The hotel receptionist did not speak very much English and my Thai is somewhat limited, so to say the least it was a bit frustrating. After some creative solutions we finally figured out that I was at the wrong hotel, that there was a very similarly named hotel that I was supposed to go to. I had been dropped off at the Sukhothai Resort, instead of the Sukhothai Heritage Resort. We contacted the hotel and secured a ride for me to the other resort. I must admit that the first hotel I went to was very relaxed looking and it had an amazing bridge leading to the rooms (see picture above), which had I not taken the wrong path would never have seen. However I have to admit I am entirely gratified that I came to the hotel I had made a reservation with. It is awesome here! It really is more of a resort then a hotel, the grounds are beautifully manicured and the rooms, decor and architecture are all fantastic. I believe that this hotel must have brought in some skilled interior designers and architects for designing this place, because the small details even are very nicely tied together. I felt so enthralled by seeing the grounds and my accommodations I extended my stay for 2 more days within an hour of being here. I don't honestly know if I will really want to leave the hotel very much over the next couple days, as it is a bit more expensive then I have been paying for other hotels but I may take the next couple days to lounge and really unwind. I don't want to ramble on too much about the Resort yet, because I have a feeling that more details are soon to come, but stay tuned and some amazing pictures of the Resort and my experiences are sure to ensue!