Some of the locals look at my photos and immediately ask if this is Muang Boran,  as they do seem a bit too "perfect" , a bit too good to be true, but for the majority of the population the illusion is complete and they start betting on chiang-rai, songkla, wait, don’t tell me, I know this old wood market houses… in the end, every photos is an illusion, there is nothing objective in this world and the stories are in our minds.

I always like to hide in temple gardens here in the city as the serenity and the silence is good for the soul, and here, over an area of hundreds of acres, you can find that same feeling, but in a lot of variations and different locations to stop in. I take most of the visitors that come to Bangkok to see that beautiful little marvel of conservation, but the truth is I am much more fond of the times I get there without tourists, when I can just sit and absorb everything, look at the reflection of the clouds passing slowly in the temples crystal clear mote and small artificial lake.

One of the secrets of this place is that  in a very Thai fashion, it is non obtrusive and it is very easy to forget that it is a big museum  full of fake monuments and "ancient" houses built a couple of years ago. it has this budhist zen quality of just…being there. And that is something that is very rare these days, especially in tourist attractions and these plastic days we live in.

If you fall on a good day, when it is not too hot, and not too rainy, when there are not too many people and when you are feeling a bit romantic, a visit to Muang Boran is truly a voyage in time. Not only in time, but through time as you go through periods and eras, through kings and dynasties. It is indeed an experience. Highly recommended. And the best way to get there is with a simple taxi, after that the bicycle will be all you need, trust me.