Our journey in Thailand continues and is giving us memorable experiences. After Bangkok, we stopped in Nakhon Sawan and then in Sukhothai, two cities north of the capital. The final destination is still Chiang Mai, where the famous Lantern Festival is held in mid-November (but that's another story, which I'll tell you about in the next article!).
Traveling by train in Thailand is surprisingly quiet and pleasant. The Bangkok-Sukhothai route lasts about six hours, so we decided to break up the journey by stopping one night in Nakhon Sawan so as not to accumulate too much tiredness in the first weeks of the adventure. The city itself does not have many tourist attractions, but it is always stimulating to deepen the encounter with a culture different from our own.
Sukhothai was undoubtedly the most fascinating stop on this part of the journey. Its archaeological site with majestic temples immersed in nature is simply wonderful. To explore it, we rented a scooter right at the station (a unique and super fun experience!) and ventured through the ruins with our “racing car”.
One of the most touching moments was arriving at Wat Si Chum, a temple that houses a giant statue of Buddha sitting in meditation perfectly framed by an ancient brick structure. But, surprise of surprises, right here we noticed a red flag in the distance.
Intrigued, I immediately thought: "What if it was Pechino Express?" But then I said to myself: "No way! It must be just a coincidence."
As we got closer and closer, however, here was the confirmation: the Pechino Express - Beijing Express logo was there – the famous Italian TV show - in plain sight! I couldn't believe it!
For someone like me who is a die-hard fan of the show, it was a magical moment. I already knew that this year's route included the Philippines, Thailand and Nepal, but finding myself right in one of the filming locations was an incredible surprise.
Giuseppe and I, of course, imagined ourselves as competitors for a day, inventing the perfect name for our couple: "Gli Scappati di Casa (ran away from home)". In my opinion, there couldn't be a more fitting name than this!
Unfortunately, however, we arrived a little late. They were already dismantling everything, and we didn't have the chance to see the participants. A girl who worked there told us that the production team was moving to Chiang Mai... exactly where we are going too!
Will I be able to meet them in the next stop? You'll find out next week!
Returning to Sukhothai, I discovered that this city was the first capital of the once independent kingdom of the same name, which bordered to the south with the kingdom of Ayutthaya - whose capital of the same name I told you about last week, an article that you can read here - and to the north with the Lanna kingdom (whose capital was Chiang Mai). In 1378, the kingdom of Sukhothai was annexed to Ayutthaya, but its temples and history continue to live among these spectacular ruins.
Looking back on the day, I can’t say what made me happier, the beauty of the archaeological site or the Beijing Express flag.
Maybe more the latter!
Our journey continues towards Chiang Mai, and I can’t wait to tell you everything that will happen there. Between festivals, markets and (maybe) unexpected encounters, there will be so much to write about.
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