Rainy Day Reads

Ayutthaya is situated 80 km from Bangkok and it was that nation’s capital for a good 4 centuries, from 1350 AD to 1767 AD when it was destroyed by a Burmese army.   Wat Yai Chai Mongkol Today it is a must-see on any trip to Thailand as it is absolutely loaded with temples and statues of the Buddha. The famous “Buddha head in tree roots” is also located here. Be warned, though. It is not very big. For some reason I always thought it was massive, but it is close to lifesize, so don’t expect more than that.  The huge amount of temples and statues were built by 33 different kings when the city was in its prime. The area was declared a historical park in 1976 and renovation work begun in previous years turned even more serious. Part of the park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.  You can visit the city from Bangkok, sailing up the Chao Phraya River, The River of Kings, or you can go by road, whi...

This so-called “Golden City” surrounds the royal castle of Prague on top of a hill overlooking the Vltava River. The district is situated on the western side of the river and the main sights consist of the castle, the St. Vitus cathedral and the winding streets.   The royal palace is a monumental complex of buildings that range in age from the 10th century to the 20th century. It is said to be the biggest castle in the world with a length of about 570 m and and average of about 130 m width. On the castle grounds lies the residence of the rulers of the country. In 1990 Václav Havel was sworn in as president of the then country of Czechoslovakia. The complex also houses the two main art collections in the city; the St. Georg convent, which houses Czech art of an older date, and the Sternberg mansion which houses 600 years of European art.  Changing of the guard at the castle The St. Vitus Cathedral is located within the castle ground and it is a 99 m h...

I went to India in 2004 (I have another post about my visit to the Taj Mahal ) and this was my first brig trip away from home and on my own. I say on my own, but we were actually a group of 14 girls going, but I didn’t know any of them beforehand. We were going to the small village of Bijanbari in the West Bengal highlands to teach English in the village schools.   The view from Darjeeling We spent a few days sightseeing around Delhi, Jaipur and Agra before we headed up the mountains to the city of Darjeeling. We took the train from Delhi to Siliguri, which is a 24 hour overnight experience, but it is possible to fly to Bagdogra, located 90 km from Darjeeling, and drive for a few hours to Darjeeling from there.  Darjeeling was founded by the British in the mid-19th century, when they set up an sanatorium and a military depot here. Soon it became a popular spot for summering among the British, as it provided an escape from the heat of the plains. It i...

Essaouira is an idyllic little town on the west coast of Morocco. It is conveniently  located just a few hours drive from Marrakech, and a lot of Moroccans use it as a weekend getaway.  I went there in 2015 on my Morocco roundtrip and you can read a more detailed “review” here ! As I said above Essaouira is a lovely little city, famous for its laid back vibe and hippie feel. We spent the days just relaxing and enjoying the fresh breeze after having been roasted in the desert and baked in the hot cities of Morocco.  The history of the city can be traced back to prehistoric times. The bay is sheltered which means the harbour is protected against the strong winds from the Atlantic. Essaouira, consequently, has always been a busy trading port with visits from the Carthaginians, the Romans and the Portuguese among others. In the 16th century European powers repeatedly tried to seize the city, but in vain.  The city we see today was bu...