Lots of driving today as I headed north, with the goal of visiting a couple of significant archaeologic sites. Throughout central Thailand there is evidence of prehistoric human settlements, and the historic record starts with the expansion of the Khmer empire from Cambodia to the north (circa 7th century AD). By the 12th century there were major military outposts such as Kamphaeng Phet on the banks of the River Ping, and Sukhothai on the flood plain of the Yom River. These outposts were likely to keep the border stable against incursions from the folks in Burma, but eventually they became powerful entities in their own and sometime in the 13th century the princes declared themselves independent from the Khmer empire, in what is called the Sukhothai period of Thai history, which many consider as the birth of the Kingdom of Siam.
Kamphaeng Phat is found among the woods, which may not have been there when the site was originally established but nowadays give it a certain mystic quality. Most of what can be seen are temples built with laterite bricks, but in some of them you can still see the stucco that covered the brick work, which when painted most have given the site a very impressive aspect. I am sure that many of the low structures seen between the temples were dedicated to the civil administration of the site, with the people living in thatch roof structures in the surrounding area, just as was the case in Mesoamerican sites.
Sukhothai is beautifully developed with many ponds and green areas, and given its serenity I would not hesitate to call it one of the great religious centers of the world. It is a very large site, so I saw much of it from the hop-on hop-off tram ride I bought (in retrospect, perhaps it would have been better if I had rented a bike to move around it). Once again, what is exposed are laterite brick structures (walls, stupas, colonnades) with a few monumental sculptures of Lord Buddha (the main statues have been removed to the museum in Bangkok). Unfortunately the local museum closed early and I couldn't stroll through it.
Tomorrow I need to head south and get close to Bangkok. I will try to make my approach to the big city slowly and stopping here and there to visit sites of interest. For example, I forgot to say that my first stop today was at one of the many caves, Hup Pa Tat, under the recommendation of my hotel host. The cave part was very short, but it led you to the inside of a deep and very wide sinkhole where a moist microclimate had led to the development of a luxuriant vegetation that climbed toward the light in the form of incredibly tall trees and shrubs that clung to great height on the steep walls of the sinkhole. It was an awesome sight.
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