No Fixed Abode: Tales of the Riverbank

Mon 22 Feb 2016 - Bangkok

After the exertions of yesterday we had a steady morning. In fact so steady we didn’t leave the hotel until gone 2pm. It wasn’t all lazing around though as we spent ages online applying for our Cambodia eVisas, looking at transport to the border and checking out the border crossing scams. As the visas will take 3 working days we made the decision to extend our stay in Bangkok for the rest of the week until they arrive. Yvonne trawled the web to find activities for the next few days other than visiting the temples. Options were an evening of fights at the Thai Boxing Stadium, all blood and guts apparently. A three day excursion out of the city on a renovated rice barge, meeting Yvonne’s criteria to get out of the chaos but was a very luxurious expense. A Thai cookery class. A day at the city museum including the throne hall which appealed as we could get in free with our tickets from the Golden Palace we intend to visit during our stay.

When we did leave we set off for the river via the BRT, known locally as the Sky Train. An elevated train that whisks you above the hubbub of the streets below. Not having the correct change for the ticket machines Glenn braved his luck at the ticket desk and was given a handful of change but know tickets. It took us a while to realise the girl had merely exchanged our note for coins so we could return to the machine to get our tickets. At the far end we alighted from the modern, went down some stair and returned to the throng at the more traditional river ferry station.

With small paper ticket in hand we joined a queue of predominantly westerners. A few minutes later a boat arrived and a separate queue of locals surged on board leaving us to realise there was a regular service and a tourist service. A short while later we jumped aboard our boat and a guy with a very musical voice started, what we thought was, singing. While watching the frantic activity of the many boats and looking at the buildings, old and new, on each shore, we realised that the guy was in fact providing a commentary - but in a strangely melodic meter.

Several stops later we jumped off the boat and walked straight into a modern parade of shops selling gelato and other touristy stuff. Leaving there as soon as possible we walked back along the streets parallel to the river passing shops and market stalls selling all manner of stuff - food snacks, trinkets, clothes etc. This really is a city of contrasts.

After ambling around for a while and with nowhere particular to go we found a nice spot on the river bank with a cool breeze and sat and watched the water bound traffic. It was just as chaotic, if not more so, than the streets. Passenger ferries racing back and forth, trains of huge barges being hauled very slowly up the river by tugs, massive dinner cruise boats loitering for their appointed time at the quay and in between all these fast, long tailed taxis zipping through the traffic at high speed like annoying insects. How there were no collisions goodness knows. With all the activity to capture our attention it was a long while until we left and our quiet spot had become very popular with lots of people we assumed had come to watch the sunset.

Now in search of dinner we headed towards the Khoasan Rd, the backpacker area of town. On the way we passed a large park that had been fenced off for an event. Finding a gap we went inside and made our way through the crowds to a large grassy area where the sky was full of kites of every colour, shape and size. We watched these for a while then found an exit, which opened onto a broad road with very little traffic. Strange. Eventually the traffic died out completely and an eerie hush descended over the watching crowds. First a police bike passed with lights flashing, then another and another. Then some cars and more bikes and more cars, all with lights flashing. After what seemed an age a cream coloured vintage Rolls Royce sped past followed by a train of red Mercedes then more police cars and bikes. We can only assume that some dignitaries, possibly the king and queen, had attended the event and were returning home. No queueing in the traffic for them.

Once they had passed the normal chaos of Bangkok traffic returned and we fought our way across a large intersection and through some busy back streets to Khoasan Rd. This area is full of cheap accommodation and restaurants all fighting for the attention of the thousands of, mainly european, travelling community. Bright lights blazing, loud music thumping, street hawkers selling all manner of tat, people sitting on the floor having henna tattoos applied and Tuk Tuk drivers trying to drum up a ride. It was like being on the esplanade at Blackpool - only much warmer!

Fighting through the melee Glenn recognised a restaurant he’d visited 10 yrs ago so we had to eat there, just for old times sake - that and they had a large screen showing Spanish football. The restaurant was really just a gap between two other buildings with a metal frame that supported a tarpaulin that could be drawn across in case of rain. When the waitress appeared we tried to order some coconut water but they were out, so we tried beer but they couldn’t sell that on this day (we’ve since discovered that it was Makha Bucha that commemorates the day when 1,250 monks gathered to be ordained by Buddha. The spiritual aims of the day are to purify one’s mind, not to commit sins and do only good) so we had to settle for fruit juice, our sacrifice for the day.

Following a below par but at least cheap meal (the restaurant has gone down hill) we walked back to the water taxi terminal but found it closed so we tried to get a cab home. After struggling to get two drivers to understand where we wanted to go we eventually found a third, directed him to a nearby shopping centre and walked home for an early night in readiness for an early start tomorrow.