Tradition still crowning glory at Ayyuthaya

Tradition still crowning glory at Ayyuthaya

Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post/Ayutthaya, North Thailand

Our tour guide gave us a quizzical look when he learned that our
group -- consisting of artists, officials and journalists from
Indonesia -- was headed to the ancient city of Ayutthaya.

Imron Dengni, who has never been to Indonesia but speaks
shockingly fluent, contemporary Bahasa Indonesia, exclaimed, "Are
you sure you're going to this place? Most, no, almost all,
Indonesians whom I've guided only want to go shopping, shopping
and shopping."

Imron was not the first Thai to give a brutally honest view of
the spendthrift Indonesian abroad. Our reputation preceded us; we
found ourselves popular among hotel workers and street vendors
for our presumed ravenous shopping habit, and also the
extravagant way we would spend our baht at nightspots.

The Indonesian influx reaches its peak at school holidays, the
Idul Fitri holidays and Christmas.

"They said that their housemaids return to their hometowns for
the holidays, so many families vacation in Thailand rather than
staying at hotels in Jakarta for more or less same expense,"
Imron said.

Regardless of what our personal preferences might have been to
see and do in Thailand, we were on a scheduled tour with the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Art Award Phillip
Morris delegation, and culture was on the agenda.

"It still has something to do with art and culture," Imron
said in a rather regretful murmur.

"Kasihan deh, gua! (Poor me!)" he added in Jakarta street
slang about the plan, drawing laughter from us.

Imron warned us that what we would see "boring" rural
districts and almost similar panorama everywhere -- paddy fields,
simple and tidy houses, railroads -- when we left the crowded
capital of Thailand and sped to the north.

"And also, for those who have little interest in archeological
issues, this site is probably just a place of ruins," he said.

Actually, it proved far from boring. Rural areas are always
good for the eyes: The green paddy fields giving way to gray and
black railroads and the slow moving pick-up trucks were pleasant
scenery after the hectic "city of angels".

Construction of low cost apartments could be seen on both
sides of the highway.

It takes around two hours to drive the 76 kilometers to
Ayutthaya. The capital city of Thailand from 1350 until 1767, the
huge palace, home to the Ayutthaya monarchy, is now a collection
of brick foundations, porticoes and walls.

It creates a dramatic view for photos and also leaves a hollow
feeling to learn it was an ancient war -- and, of course,
vandalism -- that destroyed the grand constructions.

"It was indeed a lively riverine cosmopolitan city at that
time and once an important political axis in Southeast Asia,"
Imron said, citing the relations between the Ayutthaya monarchy
and several kingdoms in Southeast Asia.

Close to the compound are other fascinating attractions, like
a school for elephants, the floating market and the colorful food
stalls which offer special roasted meat and fish.

Among the ruins, three towering chedi (pagodas) at Wat Phra
Sri San Phet (the royal temple) dominate the entire complex. The
scattered ruins are said to be the former meeting halls used for
ceremonies, to welcome honored foreign guests, to view military
parades and royal barge processions, and for leisure.

"Thais don't use this complex for praying anymore but monks
still frequent the place. For tourists, mostly only those from
China and Japan who come here to take a look," he said.

Many flock here to see the "Face of Buddha," a statue of
Buddha's head with a tree growing around it.

Visitors may be few, but workers in wide-brimmed farmer's hats
continually clean and brush piles of bricks using tiny short-
handle sweeps. Carefully and meticulous, the workers ensure the
structures are free of moss and dirt.

It's in keeping with the designation of the venue by UNESCO as
a World Heritage Site.

I compared it with the huge compound of Borobudur temple in
Magelang, Central Java, which is so popular and has to deal with
the attendant problems that come with all its visitors, including
the hawkers and souvenir shops at the world's largest Buddhist
temple.

Ayutthaya's brick-made temples are, of course, a much younger
creation, yet Borobudur has more reliefs telling of Buddha's life
story and stories taken from the Mahabaratha epic.

That is probably the reason Indonesian tourists do not feel
like visiting Ayutthaya, for they have older, bigger, more
vandalized and noisy temples back home. Just a guess.