As instructed, I was in the lobby at 0600 for the canal tour. The bus didn’t arrive until 0715, which didn’t seem like a very good start, though apparently it was the travel agent’s error. I picked up a croissant for breakfast and got into the bus to find only one other occupant – a costa rican girl working as a marine biologist in Australia. When we arrived at the pier there were more people, so the boat was actually about two thirds full. It motored down the river to the lock gates at one of the entrances to Bangkok’s canal system. As we moved from the flowing waters of the river to the stagnant canals, I was hit by the smell, which I thought would have to be unbearable for the people who lived here. Fifteen minutes later I had forgotten about it – it’s amazing how quickly you can get used to your environment.
The houses looked pretty shaky for the most part – generally wooden, with liberal use of corrougated iron. People moved around in small boats, mostly rowing, though the odd dragonboat shot past at top speed. There were no roads to be seen, and certainly no road access to the canals, making this seem like a community entirely centred around the canal. One woman was cleaning her teeth, presumably using canal water, and waved to us as we passed. A man crouched on the bank, seemingly as unaware of the passage of time as the dog lying beside him.
The canal broadened and we came to a junction with another canal. Wooden bridges crossed each waterway, and shops were set back some ten metres from the bank. We docked and were ushered by our guides towards a large souvenir shop, as I began to understand why this trip had been so inexpensive. To their disappointment, I didn’t buy anything.
The next part of the canal led us though an area of farmland, and then another residential area. We stopped next at a snake farm, probably the sort of place I would be least interested in going, and were asked to part with a further 100 baht admittance. Instead I browsed the shops, which were much better than the tacky souvenir place we’d seen before, and bought a peacock feather fan while I waited for the others to see their snake show.
We looped round and rejoined the canal where we entered the network, and I noticed that the man and his dog were still perched on the bank. I wondered if they’d moved at all. Back on the pier, some people were continuing on a full day tour with the same company, and were herded into one bus, while those of us expecting to return to our hotels were directed to another. We were told that we would go back via a gemstone factory. Uh oh – the G word. Yet another attempt to get my cash, but I knew that my hotel was easily within walking distance so I made my excuses and left, to the annoyance of the guides and despair of my fellow tourists, who clearly wanted to do the same but had no idea where they were!
Apparently I didn’t either, since I got lost, but at least I’d finished the tour without spending any more than the 400 baht I’d already paid. I decided to go to lunch, and had a western meal at a touristy place on Khao San Road. I needed it after such a small breakfast.
Finding the hotel at last (it was still only 12:30), I spent a few hours by the pool until I had convinced myself it was cooling off, but when I stepped out of the hotel fully dressed with all my gear, I realised that this city just doesn’t get any cooler. I headed for Wat Arun, Temple of the Dawn, which was on the other side of the river. I got a taxi to the ferry terminal and paid 2 baht to cross the river. I had crossed about 2km upstream from the Wat even though there was a ferry terminal at Wat Arun itself, but it gave me the chance to see the other side of Bangkok close up. This side of the river the tuktuks seemed to be different, with people sitting sideways instead of facing forward, and there were no foreigners – I took about 40 minutes to leisurely walk the 2km downstream, and saw not a single non-thai person.
Foreigners were in abundance though when I reached Wat Arun, which was quite a spectacular sight. I climbed to the second level, as high as visitors are allowed, and studied the decorative tiles that covered the outer surface. There must have been millions of tiles to cover the whole thing.
As the sun was setting behind the Wat, I got a ferry back across the river and started searching for a tuktuk. The first agreed to 40 baht, but wanted to go somewhere else. I rather wanted to choose the destination myself so I got out and walked 10 metres to the next one.
Before dinner I decided to get a Thai massage. It starts off with pounding, moves on to stretching (I think every vertebra in my back clicked) and ends up very much like a game of twister. I came out an hour later feeling about 5cm taller. Before I went to bed I booked a trip to Ayuthaya for tomorrow, this time leaving at 7am.