Monkey Mayhem - Hua Hin, Thailand

 

I’ll let you in on a little secret; I have a few irrational fears. Two in particular are clowns and monkeys. I know they are ridiculous things to be scared of, but I guess that is the irrational part of it all. Throughout the years, friends and family have taken great pleasure in tormenting me with clowns of all shapes and sizes. However, it wasn’t until a recent trip to Thailand that I realized that I was equally terrified of monkeys. One or two monkeys I can handle, it was the gaggle of monkeys that did me in.

On a recent Christmas vacation, I made my way to Thailand to visit my dear friends Nat, Hendo, and Patrick, who were living in Bangkok for the year. After a few days in Bangkok, Hendo drove us the 200km to the Gulf of Thailand and the Royal resort town of Hua Hin for Christmas. After a few days of lolling around in the sun and playing in the pool, we decided to venture out and check out Hua Hin. The agenda for the day was to explore the Khao Takiab area south of Hua Hin.

As we drove up the steep winding mountain road to the temple, Wat Khao Lad, I was a bit apprehensive because this area is known for its monkeys. In fact, the temple is often called Monkey Temple or Monkey Mountain. And the name certainly delivered. There were monkeys everywhere.

The Long March

Even after being in the country for over a week, I am still surprised by the daunting heat that hits me as I board the long-tail boat that ferries me from the train station to the island of Ayutthaya, the former capital of Thailand. As my travel companion and I push our way through the gaggle of food carts and impromptu markets, I realize that I have no idea where we are going.

I went through my mental guidebook and realized that I had read quite a bit about the historical sites that I wanted to see on this day trip, but didn't pay much attention to the logistical details. I had envisioned that I would arrive to the island by boat and there would be miles and miles of temple ruins bordered by the three rivers that intersected the city. Sadly that romantic vision was not to be. Ayutthaya was a thriving congested city and there wasn’t a temple in sight.