I decided to take the train to Lopburi, a five-hour ride south from Phitsanilok. I found it much more relaxing than the bus, as you get up, walk around, or sit between the cars watching the country-side go by.

The city of Lopburi has been inhabited since the 6th century, and by the 10th century, was the center of a local empire. The Khmers (from present day Cambodia) invaded towards the end of the 10th century, and used Lopburi as the headquarters in this region. In the 13th century, Lopburi was taken over again, this time by forces of the city-state to the north, Sukhothai.

The draw of Lopburi to me was another set of ruins to wander through, as well as superfluous reports of monkeys taking over the town. Upon arrival I found a spot at the Asia Hotel, reminiscent of an old hospital or psych ward, dimly lit with polished tile that sent your footsteps ricocheting down the hall.

After exploring the town, I discovered that the monkeys were actually contained within the area of one ruin, Prang Sam Yot, not falling from the trees as I'd hoped. (Probably a wise thing, since some of them are vicious little bastards, and not intimidated easily .) Furthermore, they had to cross a busy roundabout to get to the temple at which they are fed a few regular times a day.

Once the monkeys were done, there wasn't really that much to do in Lopburi, at least in the evenings. Essentially just a scattering of resto-bars, and the strip of foods stalls by the train station. As I later found out (though didn't partake), there is actually lots to do around here, as a number of trekking companies operate tours of the surrounding moutains, rivers, and sunflower fields (though now is not the season, apparently). This kind of stuff is purposely left out of the Lonely Planet (according to those that run the tours) in order to prevent hordes of tourists, and preserve the quieter "off-the-beaten-track" vibe.