Nevertheless, today we hired a driver/ guide with a pickup truck, and excellent command of English and an aunt who rents bicycles and traveled a hour to Si Sanchanali. We saw only 4 other westeners in the entire day but several batches of Thai school children arrived on some really interesting buses!
Si Sanchanali was a kingdom that existed before Thailand was an actual country. The extensive ruins reflect Khmer, Mon, Hindu, Sri Lanka, and Sukhothai influences resulting is all sorts of architectural variations. You won't see much difference in the Buddhas, structures, or Chedi and neither did we until our great guide pointed them out. His father was a archeologist who helped to excavate these ruins so the son was very knowledgeable. For example, Sri Lanka Chedi have round tops, Sukothai chedi are shaped like a lotus bud. Thailand adopted their Theravada Buddhism from Sri Lanka. When you see the photos, know that all of that dark, weathered laterite structure we have been showing you was originally covered with a white concrete material so the structures were white with mostly red coloring on the Buddhas ( if it was Sri Lanka style)
With so few tourists and the sites spread quite far apart, we once again could silently bike through the national park site and just absorb the atmosphere. Another great day.
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