Early in the morning, I embarked on a slow and open-window local train journey, which covered the 40-minute ride to the historic city of Ayutthaya. Once hailed as one of the most splendid cities on the planet, the capital of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya suffered complete destruction and was reduced to ashes during the Burmese invasion in 1767. Today, it stands as a significant tourist attraction, with the remnants of palaces and temples telling the story of its illustrious past.