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.