Bangkok, Thailand...and the salty dilemma (part five)

On one of the many river stops that I decided to explore, I encountered an unusual spot to say the least. There were many people crowded around a small inside "Market" that was built next to the pier. After we jumped off of the river boat, I immediately walked inside the market area to discover tables of homemade breads and crackers. Vendors sat on small benches and sold their selection in plastic bags.

Chao Phraya River in Bangkok...heading towards the pier from the river boat



It didn't take long for me to notice a scurrying of sound in the water. It was actually quite loud and since I heard people laughing and behaving in a shocked manner, I decided to walk back over and see what all the fuss was about. As I was walking back over to the scene, a Thai lady tossed a piece of bread (I'm assuming stale) over her shoulder as she was filling bags full of bake goods. She didn't look in that direction as if she had done this a million times. I ran over to the small railing and found myself a space to lean up against and look down into the water. After I pulled my camera in front of me...THIS is what I saw... (you can click on the higher resolution option for shocking detail and clarity..LOL)







The next video is a little bit close to the water.







The funny part is that in my desire to capture some of the over zealous catfish eating bread...I had river and slimly fish water splashed into my mouth. Yes...disgusting. Imagine the combination of salt, fish, dirt, pollution, weeds and other secret ingredients becoming a flavor in a matter of seconds....time to process the information...spit...grimace...panic. Okay, not that I'm a wimp or anything, but the Chao Phraya river is not exactly the cleanest thing on earth. You can bet that I spent the next 24 hours wondering if I was going to come down with some sort of horrid parasite infection or at the very least, a terrible stomach ache. However, I managed to make it through without a hitch. Maybe I was worried for nothing? So, I guess the moral here, is that if you stop by the bread shop and see a mob of people watching catfish in the water...DON'T get too close.



To Be Continued....

Bangkok, Thailand Part Three...River houses and the Pak Klong Flower Market

As we started up the river, I began to notice this strange contrast between 5 Star hotels and run-down homes that lined the sides. I am always fascinated by living conditions in other parts of the world. It seemed that every inch of the waterfront was taken up by some type of real estate.

Home along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok

Rotting posts seemed to barely keep some of the homes from falling into the water, while hanging laundry was the obvious similarity between neighbors. Now, before I go on...I want to make it clear that I really, really love the Thai people. There is such a warmth, openness and politeness that is comforting when visiting Thailand. One of the common gestures is that the Thai people place their hands in a praying position next to their chest in order to express thanks, appreciation or as a warm greeting. You will notice this most times when you are a store, restaurant or meeting. I would say it's equivalent to hand shaking, but it seems much kinder than that.

The Thai people are soft-natured, well mannered and always willing to help. As always, there are a few exceptions to every rule, but for the most part, these people make us (Americans) seem brash.  Thai people love to laugh and smile, so it's not difficult to make friends and connect with these gentle souls.

Homes along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok

I'm not trying to make you feel sorry for these people living in these homes along the river. I honestly don't think it's out of the ordinary. These homes are probably just weathered and worn over the years and may not constitute poverty by Thailand standards. I just find them fascinating to see and photograph.

Homes along the Chao Phraya River

In the next photo here, you can see that most people have satellite dishes attached to the sides apartments (In hot Pink, of course). A small cafe sits at the bottom of this photo.

Homes along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok

Okay, so let's talk about some of the stops you can experience along the way. We actually got on and off at many different places and I will try to show you some photos of a few. I have to say though, that if someone has a very difficult time walking (maybe with a cane or something) then this tour boat might not be the best idea. Whenever the boat pulls up to each stop, it bumps against the edge a bit and kind of bounces up and down due to the waves. At times, you have to jump a little to get your balance on shore. It's not a problem for regular footed people, but it might be for someone who has walking problems.

Anyway,  even though many of the neighborhood stops you get off on might look a bit run down, it's quite safe. You probably wouldn't want to roam around everywhere after dark, but during the day, there should never be a problem. These stops started to show me the Bangkok I expected to see. Not the upscale modern version I first saw. I'm not going to be able to remember the names of these stops, so you might have to explore on your own to find them.

Temple at the Memorial Bridge Pier

One of the places I liked a lot was the Pak Kong Flower Market. When you first get off at this pier, you will see a tree linked street that you can access by walking to your right and then shortly turning left up the street. You should be able to see the temple tower (in photo above) to know you're going in the right direction. I am taking you this way so that you can see the Temple before you go to the Flower Mart.

This Temple is next to impossible to photograph, due to the trees, gates and everything else that gets in the way. It's important to know that you can't just walk into a Temple wearing shorts or tank tops. You have to have on long pants and be dress appropriately. This is strictly enforced at every temple and the palace.

Temple at the Memorial Bridge Pier

Once you see the Temple, you can walk to your left and see the street entrance to the Flower Market. The entire street is lined with stores. Be careful when crossing the streets to get there. Like Vietnam, you're kind of at your own risk. There are crosswalks, but people just don't like to stop their cars or motorcycles, so if this scares you, then try to walk next to a local right when they cross...they'll understand.

Vendor at the Pak Kong Flower Market in Bangkok



There are literally thousands of flowers along this street with many different vendors that even stretch into the alleys.

Vendors at the Pak Kong Flower Market in Bangkok



I didn't get a great set of pictures of flowers, but you have to trust me that there are lots of them everywhere. There are also a few produce stands too.

Produce at the Pak Kong Flower Market in Bangkok



The street is pretty busy with lots of vendors, buyers and delivery people walking around.

Vendors at the Pak Kong Flower Market in Bangkok



This yellow flower was in abundance on this particular day and being made into a wreath of sorts to be worn. From what I understand, it had to do with a Buddhist "Holiday" that was approaching and many people bought them for this purpose.

Yellow flowers for Buddhist Holiday



The area is safe, as there were all kinds of tourist and police around keeping watch. There are also some small cafes on the sides streets to eat at if you're hungry, but I'll talk about them in another post.

Thai Police on regular patrol



I would say that you could spend an hour here just looking around because of the many blocks of vendors. The river trip is generally something you want to do each day, since you could spend hours along the various stops. And as always, there are many more pictures of Bangkok in my Flickr photo album, which can be accessed HERE.

To Be Continued....

Monk on a Cellphone

Okay, is it just me...or is this just wrong?? LOL I'm just being silly (no offense meant), but seeing a Monk use a Cellphone is like watching a nun with an Ipod. Perhaps our Monk brothers are just keeping up with the times in Bangkok and this is commonplace.

Monk with a cellular connection in Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand Part Two...What to do?

The next day was met by stepping out of the hotel into the great wall of water known as "Tropical Humidity".  I have simply surrendered by now...let it soak me and replenish the last drop of water (that was drained out of every strand of hair from living in the desert for two years). I'm worried that everyone will know that I'm a tourist because I am the only one sweating.  So, here I am ready to take on the day by exploring the enormous city of Bangkok.

Taken from a walking overpass looking at the train support over head, in Bangkok



I set off with my partner in crime and began walking down the busy city streets. Hot pink taxis whipped by us with devilish speed while heading to their next pickup. There were two things different here in Bangkok. Number One, taxi drivers (whether on foot or in car) did not stop to bother us. Ever. I wasn't sure how to react to this after weeks of driving propositions. I had the instinct to say "No Thanks" every time a cab drove by in it's pink splendor. Number Two, pink splendor. Yes, the pinkest, most florescent cabs I have ever seen are filling the streets of Bangkok. Okay, I have to admit...I LOVED them. The question was sooo simple.."Why have yellow cabs...when you can have hot pink???". I was so torn...I mean, is it wrong to love a pink cab?? After weeks of turning them down, now I WANT to ride in one just to say I did. As you can see from this photo though, there were also, Green, Blue, Yellow and Red ones. I just didn't notice them until now.

Busy Bangkok Street And Taxi's



Anyway (at least that's over with). At the moment, I felt that I was walking down just another modern city street that could be anywhere in downtown California. The only thing that gave it away were the occasional advertisements in Thai that laid against large malls, shopping centers and bus stops. The area that we stayed in was the newer part of Bangkok. The part that you don't see in tourism ads. None the less, it was attractive and interesting.

Bangkok Bus Stop



As we kept walking we finally found a train stop that was where we wanted to get on for our next destination. I wanted to get out of the confinements of this concrete jungle and see the real bangkok and the famous river than runs through it. The train system in Bangkok is built overhead, but is not a monorail. There are multiple entries to the train along the streets, but the train does not go all over Bangkok, in fact, it's sort of limited as far as the whole city area goes. We walked up a long flight up stairs and found our ticket station. It was a little confusing at first. You have to buy coins to get your ticket through a computer system, and only the employees at the booths give change. You then have to pick your zones etc..and you finally end up with a ticket. The tickets are scanned when you enter and when you leave, so you can't loose them.

Bangkok City Train



We ended up picking the train and line that goes all the way to the start of the river on the bottom of the city map (Saphin Taksin). It was not a long distance,  about 15 minutes and cost around $3.50 for one way. The trains are well air conditioned and very clean...but of course, crowded. As we exited, we were not sure where we ended up, but we saw the river as we walked down from the platform. There was a small crowd of people waiting on a covered platform and a ticket booth selling various type of boat tickets. We ended up buying a one day pass on the "Chao Phraya Tourist Boat", it was about $5, which was very cheap and allows you to hop on and off at the stop as you wish. The boat runs up the large river and has many, many stops along the way. You could ultimately spend the entire day going for many miles. It seemed like the fun thing to do and a way to see other parts of the city.

Bangkok River Stop



The picture above is one of the many stops that you can get off and explore. Unfortunately, Bangkok is a bit polluted and the streets are usually dirty. The skies can be grey and smoggy and the water in the river is brown/green. So, it's best to realize that you might get a little dirty when running around the city all day. Most of my photos had a grey tinge to them, but this is life.

Temple along the Bangkok River



As you can see in the above photo, just going up the river a short ways will start to reveal some amazing temples. The river boats that you use have colored flags on them to show you which makes local stops and which is express. The boat moves pretty quickly and has an inside area to get out of the sun, but most people like to stick their heads out of the open windows or stand on the back platform.

The River Tourist Boat



To Be continued...

Bangkok, Thailand Part One...No Noodle Shop For Me

Over the years I've heard friends talk about the "Amazing", "Exotic" and "Very Affordable" city of Bangkok, Thailand. I've also heard them talk about the night life, debauchery and "Anything Goes" mentality...Ping Pong balls and all (not explaining that). Unfortunately, I decided a long time ago that if anything debaucherisitc was taking place past 8pm...then it's simply, well...getting too close to my bedtime.

Bangkok, Thailand Temple



I am sure that I've missed out on quite a bit of excitement in my life when friends have implored me to join them for an all- nighter' of clubbin' out on Sunset Strip, but seriously, I'd rather watch it in a movie from my comfy little couch.

Bangkok Thailand Bus Stop



Now that you've realized how dull I am, then I must get to the good stuff. Actually, here's where it goes down hill. I hired a taxi for a three hour drive through the countryside of Thailand to take me and a few others to Bangkok. The taxi was not expensive at all. I think it ran about $14 per person, so actually quite cheap. Of course I had to get the cost upfront since I never trust taxi drivers...anywhere (I know, I have issues). Anyway, here I am riding along and waiting for this amazing vista of exoticness to slowly appear over the horizon in all it's Bangkokiness (that almost sounds wrong)....and all I saw was this:

Bangkok Thailand downtown (that never ends)



Forget that I'm behind a camera lens and imagine my little nose pressed up against the cab window peering out as my world has now been crushed. Okay, granted, Bangkok is a big, busy city and it's going to have buildings and cars and stuff, but I had dreamed that everyone lived in a temple lined with gold leaf and burned incense while chanting soothing sounds of meditation and cooking away at their heavenly seasoned dishes (which I planned on being invited over for later). But no. I then saw more of this:

Mall in Bangkok



So after the initial shock of a modern and thriving Bangkok, it's about time to get a hotel. Yes, it's true, I didn't pick a hotel before I got to Bangkok because I figured with the Bangkok prices being cheap and all, that I will just grab one when I got there. After all, I had seen numerous adds for $20 per night hotels on the internet before and what harm could there be in waiting? Well.... some friends in the cab had already picked a hotel for themselves...namely a company linked to the Hilton...and suggested we try there. HILTON?? Wait a minute...I was hoping and thinking about renting a nice room ran by an old married couple that could be had for, say, $10 per night and it would sit right above their Noodle shop on some side street. After all, I've done that sort of thing in Paris when I was younger.

Modern Meets Traditional in Bangkok



Finally, after what seemed to be hours of driving through city traffic, we ended up pulling into a very, very upscale business hotel area which showcased hotels that I would never book. Too many bell hops running around opening doors for Bentely's and Limo's...this doesn't look good. Here's where "Evil Billy" comes back in. "Let's check out the prices, it can't be that bad", he says to my scowling face. I noticed the name of the hotel was "The Conrad" (sniff, sniff) as the incredibly friendly front desk attendant began typing on an ultra modern computer system (flinching from the crystal chandeliers glistening off the counter) and diligently trying to find "Our best available rate".  What do you know...$200 per night...bless her heart. WHAT?? I glare at my nemesis. He looks back and me and states "I'm tired, it's not that bad". WHAT?? I bristled again. Sadly, he then pulls his "I get to make the decision at least once a year" card out and after I instinctively played defiant again for 30 seconds, I gave in. Okay, Okay, so $200 per night is not that bad, but people, when you're traveling for three months. you don't want to spend it all in one place...and $200 in Bangkok is like $700 in the states. By the way, this was our view from Le "Conrad".  Hmmm....?

View from the Conrad Hotel in Bangkok



To Be Continued...

Laem Chabang Port Information for Bangkok, Thailand

Hello! A lot of people ask about port information for different countries, so hopefully this will help. I have not been around every port since I often travel by plane, train or bus. However, I have been through Laem Chabang port in Thailand. This is the port that you will be docking at, if you are not on a very small ship. Most all ships come here, since they cannot fit up the river. Leam Chabang is a long ways from Bangkok, about three hours (or less if the driver is fast and there is no traffic). The port is nice and there is no tendering. You will dock at the pier.

There is an air-conditioned building that is nice and comfortable with a small shop. There is also tourist information there to help answer questions.  There is also a "Taxi Stand" that you can hire a Taxi to take you to Bangkok. They are generally small vans and can hold 8-10 people. Generally, you can get a group of people to share a cab with you, and then the price goes down to about $14 per person. Not bad for the long distance. This taxi service will typically drop you off at specific points in the city, so you must check where you need to go first and where you will end up. The drivers know very little english, but are friendly. The taxi stand sets the price, so you won't be cheated, you pay before you leave the port. You can also take a cab back from Bangkok to the pier by asking the hotel to make arrangements the day before. Keep in mind that there are more than one type of cab, so you can ask for a "cheaper" cab, instead of a "Limo".  You might pay slightly more or less to take a cab back from Bangkok. 

I hope that information helps. Feel free to ask any questions.