9/1: Ayuthaya and my 50th birthday

There is something about the rocking of the train, the wind through the open window (with a little bit of grit), and the rhythmic clanking sound that puts me at ease and sets me to whistling.

There are moments when I can see the face of Buddha in every person I see.

After a 2 hour train ride, Noah and I rented bicycles, road them to the ferry, carried them down the steps and on to this little boat, which took us to the island historic capitol. We only saw one set of ruins before it started to rain. We made it to a coffee shop just as it really started coming down. Noah had a Thai ice tea, I had a Thai ice coffee, and we sat outside under a cover and watched the rain and read our books for about an hour or so. As the rain let up, we road around the island, stopping at a few sites, before we had to head back to the train station. I really liked riding in the rain. "It was alright," said Noah. "But I'm glad that you liked it." Back in Bangkok, we splurged for my birthday dinner - we found a nicer place (than we had been eating at) that took visa (so I didn't have to cash more money, as we are leaving for India in the morning), though the whole meal, once translated into dollars, ended up costing $17. Then I treated myself to a Thai massage. It was a really nice way to celebrate my 50th.