Trip Report - BKK 28 Jan - 06 Feb 2017
Wanted to see the train that goes through the market at Mae Klong, so popped down to BKK for a week for this and other sights.
This report assembled from daily emails which I always send to wife and family when I am travelling.
I've included a few of my hundreds of pictures - hope you can pick them up okay.
Any queries or clarification required - please let me know.
BKK day 1
Left Heathrow, and the cold weather, on Saturday 28th on the 9.20 pm Eva Air flight to Bangkok. Eva Air was another first for me. They are a Taiwanese airline, and I have yet to visit Taiwan, so this route from LHR to BKK is probably the only one that doesn't start or finish in Taiwan. It was the Chinese New Year on the 28th, so there was a picture of the Chinese 'kitty' on the screen with a happy new year message. I had hoped they would be presenting a special menu, but it appears not.
The seats on Eva Air are slightly better in width and pitch than other airlines. In fact this was quite noticeable and made for a very comfortable flight. The meals were 'different' being very Taiwanese, but nonetheless enjoyable. They have a different view towards drinking. Although they offer gin, it is often served as an alternative to wine at the meal, rather than before. So I did without a G&T and just had wine. But there again a slight disappointment as they only provided a little more than a thimbleful, although they did come round twice !! The entertainment was not up to the standard I am used to on others, as many of the films were in Chinese (albeit with English subtitles), and their selection was a bit 'tame'. Nevertheless I did get to watch about three films and a couple of TV shows to pass the time, in addition to a few short periods of snoozing.
The presentation on Eva Air was lovely with some of the cabin crew joining hands (as if in prayer) and bowing before asking which selection you wanted for the meal.
We only encountered turbulence a couple of times and the captain only put the seat belt sign on when it was really necessary and then only for a short while.
Landed around 3.30 pm on Sunday, BKK being 7 hours ahead of the UK. Was a long walk from the plane to immigration, but I needed that after almost 12 hours sitting in my seat. Queued at immigration for about 20 mins but once through, the bags were starting to arrive on the other side of the immigration desk.
Then outside to find the taxi desk as mentioned in the various books, but things have changed. Now you just get a ticket from a machine which tells you which parking spot your taxi will be in. I had read that you need to be sure they switch on the meter. My chap did not and I asked him, but from what I could gather he could only switch it on when we went through the airport barrier, which he did. Anyway it was about an hour in the taxi and only cost me about £12 including about £ 2 for motorway tolls.
Taxi delivered me at the Ibis which is next to the river, and not in the very busiest part of BKK.
Once checked in and unpacked, it was starting to get dark, so I put on some shorts and insect repellant, and went for a walk. The hotel is set back from the main road, with a security guard etc. Once past the security guards you get the usual taxi touts, but of no consequence. A little way along the main road, I could hear the drumbeats which indicate a Chinese dragon dance. Sure enough a New Year's Day celebration with dragons and characters dancing around etc. I stopped and watched for a while then moved on.
I walked across the nearby bridge over the river and through a market on the other side. It was all very interesting but my feet were beginning to ache, and I was perspiring heavily in the evening heat, so I headed back towards the hotel. To get over the bridge you have to walk up about five long flights of steps, same down on the other side. And getting across the main road is not easy as it is all geared for the traffic and not for pedestrians. There is a countdown to show when the lights will change. Pedestrians can make a dash for it when the lights start to change, but also all the other traffic will have started to move before the lights change, so it is a tad hairy until you get used to it.
Stopped at a roadside bar near the hotel for a beer and something to eat. I had basically a pork soup concoction and a shrimp and seafood salad. But they were both really hot and spicy, which is not up my street, so I only ate some of the food, and the beer went down quickly, followed by a large bottle of water, before I paid up and made my way back to the hotel, stopping only on the way to get some water and a few biscuits at a nearby 7-11.
BKK day 2
After a good nights sleep, I awoke around 8.30, and soon made my way down to breakfast. It was a buffet and there was a big selection, with some lovely fresh mango, pineapple and a red fruit which tasted a bit like mango. Then cereal, and a number of cooked dishes including fried egg, chicken and pork sausages and rice, noodles etc. Also several breads, banana cake, pancakes, toast etc.and juices and coffee of course. So I took my time and filled up for the day.
I set off around 11 and took the little ferry across the river (10p) rather than all the way up those steps and over the bridge in the heat. On the other side was the stop for the express river boat, more like a river bus. There was quite a long queue, but half the people got the first boat, and then another pulled up as soon as it left and I was able to get on, although I had to stand the whole way. It was about half an hour on the boat to the stop I wanted, which was for the Grand Palace. The river was alive with boats of all sizes and from time to time a line of four barges would pass, being pulled by a small boat.
It was really crowded everywhere and I now realised why the guide books suggest you try to time your visit as early as possible in the day. Queues everywhere - firstly a ten minute queue just to get through the barrier outside the palace, where they searched bags and checked passports. Then an absolute throng of people in the midday sun trying to squeeze through the gate into the Palace grounds. The problem was that this gate was used for entry and exit, and there were as many people inside trying to get out. Still only about 20 minutes or so before I got in - could have taken longer but I was not too reserved when it came to moving forward. Once inside there was a queue that I thought was for the museum, and as I was not interested in that, I followed my nose (and the crowd) further into the grounds. Then there was a queue for the entrance to the inner grounds and temples. Here I got stopped by the temple police as I was wearing shorts, and men have to wear long trousers inside that area. I had read about this, and knew it was possible to hire some. I found out that the place to hire them was actually at the museum, so that explained that queue, and I went and joined it. The hire is free, but you pay 200 (about a fiver) as a deposit and I was given some elasticated thin trousers, which I put on over my shorts. Thought they'd be hot but in fact they were ok. So now back to the queue to pay for a ticket to get in, and then back in the queue to have the ticket checked, and then I was in and no more big queues.
The grand palace itself is very grand - I did not go in, because you could only go in if you wanted to see the remains of the late king and if so, you had to be covered in black virtually from head to toe. There was a huge queue of these people, and at the front, near the palace itself, they were being let in in small groups.
The temples in the grounds were stunning. So much gold and intricate patterns. You could not go inside the majority of them, but the main temple, the temple of the emerald Buddha, was open to the public. Had to remove shoes to go inside. But taking pictures inside was not allowed. There were a lot of icons and figurines inside - mostly in gold, but the Statue of the Buddha was in jade and not very big at all.
I think I must have explored every corner of the extensive palace grounds, and it was time to return the trousers (and get my money back) and leave. Again queues everywhere, but I was outside soon after 2. I then strolled (could not walk fast with tired feet and warm sun) along the road outside the palace grounds to another famous temple - Wat Pho, which is the temple that contains the huge gold reclining Buddha. They are not so strict about shorts, so I didn't have to hire anything, and spent an hour or so wandering around the grounds and visiting the main temple. Photos were permitted inside the temple of the reclining Buddha, so I was able to get a few, while walking barefoot around the one way system with the crowd.
There is a riverboat stop near Wat Pho but currently it is undergoing repairs, so it's closed. Instead, the riverboats are stopping on the other side of the river at Wat Arun and there is a little ferry plying back and forth across the river. No problem for me as I wanted to visit Wat Arun as well, so I joined the queue for the ferry, which stretched through the little market near the pier. Didn't have to wait too long.
Unfortunately the main spire of Wat Arun was also undergoing repairs and was covered in scaffolding, which detracted considerably from its beauty. But I walked around the grounds and saw everything there was to see. I also went around the backstreets on the other side of the temple grounds, just to get a flavour of life away from the temple.
I returned to the river pier around 4.30 and decided to take the river boat further up river to the last stop. I thought it would not be so crowded as most people would be going down river from the temples to get to the stop near my hotel, where there is also a skytrain station. (The skytrain is like an overground metro train, usually on rails that are elevated high above the roads). Anyway I was wrong and the boat was packed. In fact I was almost last on, and had only just got hold of the handrail when it was off. It brought to mind my school days when we would jump on the back platform of a number 49 bus, standing there waiting to get up the stairs, as it sped off from the stop.
The river journey to the last stop was about an hour, and I did manage to get a seat after about half an hour. What bliss ! The last stop was a place called Nonthaburi. The guide books say there is nothing there, but that is wrong, as the place is bustling with small stalls with food, and all sorts of stuff. It is very busy with buses, tuk-tuks and bikes. I strolled around for about half an hour and had a mini snack of what seemed like pork on a stick. I had plenty of water with me, so I washed it down with that.
Then back on the boat. This time I got a seat straight away, and enjoyed the long ride back down to the stop near my hotel, by which time it was now dark. Back on the ferry over the river and then the ten minute walk back to the hotel. On the way, I passed a place selling milk shakes, so I got a banana one, which was really delicious.
My feet were quite sore, so I decided to eat at the hotel, and sat by the river, enjoying chicken satay with toast as a starter, followed by stir fried chicken and steamed rice. I actually started with a G&T which was nice but don't think that there was much gin in it !!
Sat in the restaurant after dinner and wrote this blog while watching the various boats and barges going up and down the river. There were quite a lot of 'dinner cruises', some of which blared out dancing music as they passed with people dancing on board. Barges that passed had no lights except on the little boat at the front, so you would just see the opposite bank go black as it slowly went past. Curiously these barges all seem to have a little shack at the rear of each one, and sometimes at the front and rear. I had noticed people in these shacks, so will be googling this to see what goes on.
Pictures – days 1 & 2 https://www.flickr.com/gp/75686213@N06/B30677
BKK day 3
Another amazing adventurous day.
Breakfast much the same as yesterday. The fresh fruit was a bit different. I thought it was melon, but it was hard like Apple, but def not apple, and not particularly tasty. But there were orange quarters too and a fresh fruit salad that was very tasty. Again filled up for the day, having had a good nights sleep.
Set off same as yesterday - ten minute walk to the ferry, ferry over the river, then instead of taking a riverboat, I got the (sky)train into town. I went to Siam Square, as I thought that would be fairly central. When I got off the train, I found that it was mainly shopping malls, and found it difficult to actually get down to the street level. Although you can walk along the street (on the pavement of course), there is a kind of pedestrian level a bit higher up, that joins the malls and shops. The skytrain is several floors higher still. Anyway I consulted the guide book, and decided to head for the canal and the famous Jim Thompson house. Jim Thompson was an American who made his home in Bangkok, and abruptly and mysteriously went missing in 1967. You can google him if you are interested. But basically he started trading in silk then bought some land and built a house, which was different to the type of place that Thai people lived in. He became a millionaire before he disappeared. No wife or children to inherit (!)
I got to the canal and walked along beside it to Jim Thompson's house. A fascinating canal with canal boats plying up and down, much like buses. But so so different from the river boats. More on this later. But put out of your mind the type of canal boats you might see in London or Amsterdam, or even Venice. These things are big speedboats carrying a couple of hundred people at a time.
To get entry into Jim Thompson's house, you have to take a guided tour. No queue for tickets, but a 20 minute wait for the tour to start. Before the actual tour started, the guide took us to some lockers where we had to deposit all bags. Then we went all round the gardens. Not at all extensive, more like our gardens at home, except they were full of jungle type trees and growth. Then before going into the house we had to remove shoes, because the floors were the original and they didn't want them spoilt. No photos allowed in the house, but ok outside. The inside had many artefacts and ornaments installed by Jim Thompson, which came from surrounding countries, especially China. Some were well over 1,000 years old. Although museums and the like do not particularly interest me, the story of Jim Thompson and his house are an interesting highlight in the sprawling city of Bangkok.
Once away from the house, I consulted my iPad for a close up map of the area. I had read that the other side of the canal was the oldest part of Bangkok, and that the streets were still barely wide enough for two people to pass. So I continued along beside the canal until I came to a bridge, and on the other side, sure enough, there were just alleys to explore.
I made my way, following my nose, through this maze of alleys until I got to some small roads and eventually the main road. I found it all most interesting, as the alleys were just like roads, with shops every now and again, selling all manner of things from eggs to general food to clothing. You wonder how any of them could actually get any sort of living from selling things locally like this. Then I saw a chap carrying things on a pole over his shoulder, which he was taking around the alleys to try to sell. Not sure what it was he was selling, but managed to get a picture of him as he walked down one of the wider roads.
Back on the main road, I found a small modern cafe advertising ice cream and went in for a scoop. But what it turned out to be was sorbet. They had peach, strawberry and a couple of other flavours, and offered for me to try one or more. I tried the peach, but it was tasteless, so I had some strawberry, which was ok and allowed me to sit in the air conditioning and consult my map.
I decided to head back to the canal ( not far down the main road), and go for a canal boat ride. These canal boats are really a bus service used by locals day in and out. It is a major method of commuting and local travel. There are stops (landing piers) every so often, and you simply wait on the pier for the next boat. I was not really ready for this experience. I had imagined that you get on around the middle where there is a kind of gap ( where I had seen that people are standing), as opposed to the front or back ends where people are seated. Well yes and no. For a start the boat basically touches the jetty and you jump on, and we're off. The second point is that you can't move from the centre section to any of the seats unless you climb over them, which is nigh impossible if the boat is full or close to full (as they all are). So the idea is that when the boat approaches, you look for an empty seat and prepare to jump on as close to it as possible. To jump on, you grab the rope that runs the length of the boat at head height, get a foot in the running board and hop over into the boat, This is not easy for a 70 year old novice !!! So I had to let the first boat go, pretending I was waiting for one going the other way. I jumped on the next one, near the middle. It is a big step down from the running board to the floor of the boat, and I found later that there is a ledge / step at some places, so once you know where that is, it can help. The conductor walks along the outside of the boat collecting fares. I noticed some wear life jackets, and I wonder how often they end up in the water.
The fact is that these boats are high powered boats that scoot along, leaving a huge tsunami wake behind, which, if you think about it, in a narrow canal, has nowhere to go but back and forth between the banks. Now imagine....there is a boat coming the other way, leaving its tsunami behind it, into which you are heading at top speed. Yes there is a huge amount of spray, and the boat rolls all over the place, although to be fair, many times, both boats slow down to pass. Nevertheless it is a fantastic experience.
So I went to the end of the line...probably about 20 stops for around a pound. At the end, the boat attempted a three point turn, but as it was only about 3 feet shorter than the width of the canal, it was more like a twenty point turn with horrific grinding and clonking of the engine as he thrust it full power into reverse then forwards then reverse etc, and hitting the sides more than once. Having got it turned around he reversed to the landing stage where we all got off.
The location was Wat Sriboonreung. I had not come to look at the temple, just for the boat experience, but now I was on dry land again, I wandered around this small area, and went into the temple, where I was welcomed by a monk !! A short stroll around the area then, before getting on a boat heading back. Much easier now to get on, as the boat simply waited at the terminus, tied up, and almost empty, so I could choose where to sit. Of course, getting off was going to be another matter, but I tackled that without too much problem. I had counted the stops so as to be sure I knew when to get off, but was thrown a bit because I realised that some were actually request stops, so the boat didn't stop unless someone wanted to get on or off. Anyway all ok in the end, and I am now an old hand at this game.
I got off at a place called Asoka, because I knew it wasn't far to a metro (subway) station, to which I headed with my sore feet (sore despite the luxury of a seat for the last 45 minutes), and got a metro train to Sukhumvit, where I wanted to walk along this road, which was supposed to be the main drag in Bangkok. I walked as far as the next station and decided to call it a day. Sukhumvit is a very long road, and the interesting part is probably a lot further down. Where I was, were just restaurants and shops, and very heavy traffic, with the ever present skytrain high up above.
So now I got the skytrain back to near the hotel, changing trains at Siam Square. Then the old ferry back over the river. It was now rush hour, and other boats were stopping at the ferry pontoon, but just to confuse things for strangers like me, the ferry being already docked, other boats docked alongside the ferry, so passengers for those boats had to clamber over the ferry first, and people needed to be sure you were on the right boat. I found it all understandable, but several others I noticed ended up on the wrong boat. I had meant to mention yesterday, that the river is so alive with boats it is amazing. When we went to dock near the Grand Palace, we, and other boats, had to queue up on the river to get into the dock. Once a boat docks, there are high pitched yelling, probably saying hurrry, hurry. The other thing was that on the riverboats, the 'conductor' has a high pitched whistle that he blows to send messages to the driver, like 'back a bit more', or 'stop', and certainly a very recognisable once that means 'go' !! The canal boat conductors have no whistles, and basically the boat touches the side of the jetty, and then goes unless the conductor ties it to the jetty which he does if more than a few are getting on or off, but it's only tied at one spot, so there is still a real art in getting on or off.
But I digress......I made my way back to the hotel from the ferry, arriving soon after six. I had a shower and relaxed for a while before going out for dinner. There is a place on the other side of the river that I want to try, but my feet were not really up to it tonight, so I was going to go to a pub sort of place nearby. On the way I passed a very local restaurant which the 'lady' had often invited me into when I passed. So I stopped to look at the menu. I saw they were full, so was about to move on, when she rushed out and get me to go in. I said I was on my own and she said no problem and sat me at a table. Now to explain. The restaurant is not an air conditioned smart place, it is a local place with half a dozen table and stools, with the kitchen at the front doing meals for the restaurant and take away. All the food is fresh, and the place is always buzzing with activity. I think it must be a family concern, as the elderly lady at the till, and the very old gent who wandered around helping, were probably married and probably owned the place, and one of the chefs looked like the old chaps brother, and the other chef was probably his wife, while other family members were waiting, serving, helping in the kitchen area, and running errands.
Anyway to cut a long story short, I started with very welcome Singha beer, with egg fried rice with prawns, plus grilled pork. I have never had such delicious egg fried rice. So fresh and tasty. And the grilled pork was also very very nice. Having finished it all, I was not full, so to their delight, I had another beer and ordered a stir fried chicken with cashew nuts. Again absolutely delicious. NOW I was full. So I paid up (around £9 for the lot), and walked a couple of hundred yards up the road instead of going straight back to the hotel. I had seen up the road, that there was a place selling small cakes and biscuits, but they were often shut when I came past, but now they were open, so I chose a couple of items just to finish off back at the hotel.
Pictures – day 3 https://www.flickr.com/gp/75686213@N06/7fHu66
BKK day 4
Today was supposed to be a relaxing sort of day after the past couple of busy days. I could easily have slept until midday, but was afraid I would miss breakfast if I did not put the alarm on.
So I was a few minutes later than 'normal' for breakfast, but the place was packed with what seemed to be a Korean group. But this was not the real problem - as they seemed to be short staffed with tables not being cleared very quickly, if at all, and shortages of things like spoons, plates etc., and even some food such as sausages. Anyway, I found a table that had just been vacated and found enough food to satisfy my tummy.
I decided that I would do my 'train through the market' trip tomorrow (Thursday) but would spend today doing a rekky or part dry run. To recap and for those who might not know about this trip, the train runs through a market at Mae Klong. But to get to Mae Klong, you have to travel from Bangkok to Maha Chai, then take a ferry over a river to a place called Ban Laem, to get the train to Mae Klong. Now....the train to Maha Chai goes from a place called Wong Wian Yai, which is in the western suburbs of Bangkok, not too far from my hotel. The trains to Maha Chai go about every hour or so, but to Mae Klong, there are only 4 a day, the first one being too early to be of any consequence. So timing is fairly crucial to be able to do the whole trip in a day.
Firstly I wanted to know if it would be feasible to walk to Wong Wian Yai train station, because the best way would be by taxi or tuk-tuk, and if there wasn't one when I wanted to go, I did not want to miss the train. In addition, the book simply says that you go to Maha Chai then take the infrequent ferry to the station on the other side, so I wanted to time it, - again to be sure I did not miss the train on the second sector. Another reason for the dry run was that I suspected there would be photo opportunities at Maha Chai / Ban Laem and did not want to delay my actual trip by stopping for photos.
I am pleased I did this dry run on all counts. On the walk to the station, I did take a couple of wrong turns, which added a few minutes, so I would not make these mistakes if I have to do it tomorrow. In any event it was an interesting walk along the back streets of the area. I had gauged about an hour and was not wrong. (I reckon it must be about 2.5 miles, as my pace after the first mile was def less than 3 mph). At the station end of the walk, I ended up in a huge market (there are markets everywhere here) which slowed me down.
The station was suddenly there, just around a corner. Along the road TO the station according to the map, but in fact on the road, just round the corner !!
I arrived at the station and saw that there was a train leaving about 30 mins later to Maha Chai, and so I went and got a ticket. Most surprised that it was only 10 thb (about 25p) for an hour's journey. The train is not air conditioned but has four fans in each of the four carriages. The skill is to get a seat where there is a fan that works, as half of them were broken. All the windows were fully open. On the left side, the sun would be shining, so the shutters were drawn down, so the ideal was a window seat on the right near a fan that worked !!! This I got by being 30 mins early for the train.
The one hour journey to Maha Chai was very good. Lots to see, although very difficult to get any photos, as most houses and gardens etc were right up against the train ( within a few inches anyway) so anything of interest that was seen, was gone in a flash. The train did not go very fast, at least at first, in the suburbs, but later it did get up to about 30-40 mph, but there was not a very long run between stations.
Arriving at Maha Chai, I expected the ferry to be more or less at the end of the platform. The books do not say you have to walk ! But it is a good ten minutes walk if you know the way. (Not difficult - just followed my nose!!). The ferry is a bike/ passenger ferry, but mainly for bikes. It cost the whole sum of 3 thb (7p) and actually seemed to operating at regular intervals, certainly not infrequently as the books suggest.
On the other side, the village is called Ban Laem and you have to then get to the railway station. It is not very close to the ferry - probably another 10 minutes at least, and passing several interesting temples and numerous wild dogs.
So I found the station and noted times etc, ready for tomorrow. Then got the camera out and took pictures galore on the way back. It was lovely to be out of Bangkok and in a real rural village full of markets and interest. I stopped at a street stall in the hope of getting a milk shake, but it turned out just to be a refreshing drink - basically ice cubes and juice blended together in to a slush, and very cooling and refreshing. I chose pineapple. I walked back along the alley (actually a covered walkway through a market, which had more bikes than pedestrians on it) to the ferry. Paid my 3 thb and got on with all the bikes !!
It is probably timely to mention about bikes, as I might or might not end up on one. They have several forms of transport (other than trains etc). The top end of public road transport is the bus. They have air conditioned and non air conditioned ones, sometimes on the same routes. I haven't tried the bus as it is fairly complicated and all the signs are in Thai. Then there are local lorries and vans. Lorries carry about 20 or more and vans about ten or more, and these seem to do flexible routes. They are clearly for Thai people as opposed to foreigners as you have to know the system and routings etc. There are the regular taxis which are just as you would imagine, cars with four doors etc. Then there are tuk-tuks which are three wheeled contraptions with the driver at the front and room for two or three in the back. Then there are the "taxi-bikes" which are motor-bikes where the passenger is on the pillion seat. Think these are relatively cheap and fast as they weave through the traffic far better than taxis or tuk-tuks. Most villages have a bike centre - a kind of taxi rank, but for bikes. Both in Bangkok and in the suburbs, these taxi-bikes seem to be very popular.
So back in Maha Chai, I walked to the station, and found that there was a train about to leave at 4pm. I didn't want to rush on and end up with a seat in the sun away from a working fan (!) and saw that there was another one due at 4.30. This gave me time to walk around the other end of Maha Chai and get a 'meat on a stick' as a snack. In fact it turned out to be liver, but was ok.
Got the train at 4.30 - back to Wong Wian Yai by 5.30 with feet too tired for walking, so I got a tuk-tuk. Bartered the fare first and got it for 100 thb.
Now....if I am to do the trip tomorrow, I will need to be up early, and hence in bed early tonight. So I decided on a quick meal at a restaurant very close to the hotel. Had Pad Thai, which was delicious, followed up with some chicken steak with a few chips and salad - also very nice.
Pictures - day 4 https://www.flickr.com/gp/75686213@N06/v3jpN3
BKK day 5
An early start for me today. Awake at 6am and breakfast at 6.30.
Left hotel in a taxi heading for Wong Wian Yai railway station. Some little fun and games as taxi drivers English was no better than my Thai, so we stopped at the wrong (Wong?) station at first, but we got to my station in the end in plenty of time for the 0835 train. The train was not yet in and the station ticket office was currently closed, and I assumed they perhaps only opened half an hour before the train time. At a couple of minutes before eight, the loudspeakers crackled into life and there was some rousing Thai music. Some people stood up and I wondered if it was the national anthem. Then came chimes like Big Ben but more like Chinese bells. Then six loud pips followed by eight gongs, and then definitely the national anthem, because everyone (passengers, street sellers, etc.,) stood to attention and perfectly still while it played. A really curious and wonderful thing to experience.
Then the ticket office opened and I got my ticket before the train arrived.
The journey to Maha Chai was much the same as yesterday, although I did notice more birds this time. We arrived about 5 minutes late into Maha Chai, but I knew where to go and was soon on the ferry and over the water to the station at Ban Laem to catch the 1010 train. I bought a ticket (again only about 25p) and shortly afterwards, the train arrived. I got a good seat by a window and under a fan in the second carriage. The train was not at all crowded and I had noticed a few tourists waiting in the shade next to the ticket office, which was located at the end of the station where the back of the three carriage train was.
The scenery on this part of the journey started in a sort of jungle, but soon became what looked like paddy fields without rice (just water and lots of birds, mainly herons I think). We arrived at Mae Klong after an hour, and clonked through the market at a dead slow pace. I was surprised at how long the market was. I had thought it would be a short distance along the line, but turned out to be around 200 or more yards. It was packed with tourists, mostly Japanese and Korean, I think. When the train stopped in the station at the end of the market, I got off and walked back into the market. It was crowded with tourists, many of whom were hardly moving, so I cut though to a side passage and overtook a lot of them to reach a good spot to watch the train as it left.
Once the train had gone, I went for a walk around the town. It was now very hot and as it was by the river, I re-applied some insect repellant. (I got a lot of mozzie bites at Jim Thompson's house on Tuesday, as I had not thought I was going to be by the canal and had not used any repellant. So now I use it all the time.) I saw an ice cream seller ( lady with a cart) and bought one, which was very nice. It was coconut ice cream which she scooped in small balls into a cup, added a sprinkling of chocolate juice and added two teaspoonfuls of peanuts, and provided a plastic spoon. A bit later, around 1pm, I stopped off at a stall in the station and had some noodles with chicken, plus a mango smoothie.
A bit more walking, but by now my feet were starting to complain so I stopped off at an ice cream type place. I ordered a milk banana which looked interesting on the picture menu. It turned out to be a huge mound of fluffy (shredded/shaved?) coconut ice cream, with pieces of banana placed around the mound, and a tiny jug of carnation. It was really nice.
The next train was due to arrive at 2.30, and so I made my way back into the market to get a good position to see it arrive. I had plenty of time as it did not leave again until 3.30. In fact the place was awash with Japanese and Korean tourists, so I found a spot where the train emerges from the market to get a good video.
Then back into the station for a ticket and onto the train to sit under a fan until it was time to go.
Got one last video as we left through the market and then watched the scenery all the way back to Ban Laem. Then straight onto the ferry, over the river, and waited for an hour for the next train back to Bangkok.
It was dark by the time I arrived at Wong Wian Yai, and there were loads of people around, and lots of traffic, but no tuk-tuks. So I walked over a footbridge to the other side of the road and was fortunate enough to immediately get a tuk-tuk that was just dropping someone off. So I was back in the hotel just after 7.
I was very tired after the long day, and decided to eat near the hotel again. But I really fancied a G&T, so I decided to firstly check the hotel bar. Usually the bar tender is nowhere to be seen. Tonight was no different, so I made for a small bar-restaurant round the corner. I got my G&T and some fried chicken with cashew nuts, but the prices were very high for BKK, so I did not have anything more. I then made my way to the little family restaurant that I like, and just before they shut for the night, I got some fried rice with chicken, and a nice Chang beer.
Pictures and videos – day 5 https://www.flickr.com/gp/75686213@N06/1y37f7
BKK day 6
Today was supposed to be more of a relaxing day after the past few busy days. I set the alarm for 9, as I had not got to bed as early as I had hoped last night due to all the time it took to upload the days photos and videos. It was so frustrating. The connection kept dropping, sometimes needing a complete sign in again. Had to cancel a couple of posts and redo them, and had to remove quite a lot of photos that I had wanted to post. Anyway I may add a few of yesterday's when I do today's upload.
So I had breakfast and got ready to leave, the intention being to more or less follow my nose around central Bangkok. The hotel runs a shuttle bus every half hour to a nearby skytrain station. It is six and two threes whether to take the shuttle bus, or walk to the ferry and take that. As my destination was a skytrain station in town, I took the shuttle at 11.30, and was in central Bangkok by 12.
I got off at Chong Nonsi, and walked up the Silom Road, which is one of the main streets of BKK. In fact the area is really the city's finance district. With skytrain high overhead, and concrete pillars everywhere, you can't see much of what buildings are along the road, until you actually pass them. Not sure if I mentioned spirit houses before...these are little shrines set in the corner of most properties. (Check Wikipedia under "spirit houses" for full explanation). Anyway all the businesses have these spirit houses, and it is interesting to see large corporations like Citibank, have one just like other business.
Off to the side of the financial district is the sleezy area of PatPong. I walked down one of the streets, which seemed a bit dead, as they come alive at night according to the guidebooks. But Nevertheless I was offered several massages - I won't go into details here, but it was interesting. I reached a big roundabout called Sala Daeng and I popped into 'au bon pain' for a refreshing strawberry smoothie while I consulted maps and book. I decided to head for the main railway station, as it might be possible tomorrow or Sunday to go to Ayutthaya which is Thailands ancient capital.
So I got on the metro to Hua Lamphong, which is where the station is. I strolled around and checked train times, frequency, etc, then headed from there to visit Wat Traimit, which holds the largest gold statue of Buddha. Interesting story, that the statue is 15th century, and in order to protect it from Burmese invaders in the 1600s, it was rendered with plaster to disguise it. Although the Burmese removed many priceless treasures, they left this particular statue, thinking it worthless and shabby. The origin of the statue was forgotten (lost) and it was moved to Bangkok and placed in the temple at Wat Traimit which was the only place in Chinatown area, modest enough to take such an image. It sat under a tin roof until the 1950s when enough money had been raised to build a better shelter. During the move, the crane dropped the statue and the plaster cracked, revealing, to everyone's surprise, the gold beneath. In 2009, a more befitting temple was built which is where it is now. The statue is 3 meters tall and weighs 5.5 tonnes, made of solid gold and valued at over $40million.
So I spent a short while looking around this temple, (and wondering how much overweight I'd be on the plane with a bit of gold) and then headed into Chinatown. Visited a few more Chinese shrines before ending up near the river pier. Decided to hop on a river boat and to head back to hotel. Got a ticket 15 thb for any distance, and once on a boat, decided to stay on until the last stop (not much further from Saphan Taksin, the stop I needed for the hotel). Leaving the stop before Saphan Taksin, there was an almighty bang and the boat juddered and the engines stopped. Now I don't know what exactly happened, but at a guess, one of the ropes used to tie up, had dropped in the water and got tangled with the propeller. The crewman certainly retrieved a rope, chucked it on the roof and came over to my side of the boat and got a 'spare' which he used from then on. We seemed to move ahead a bit slower and I think he was using only one engine instead of two, if that is feasible.
We got to the last stop which is Wat Rajsinkhorn, so I got off and looked around the Wat. Then back on a boat and got off at Saphan Taksin. To get from the riverboat pier to the ferry pier (to get over the river), you walk over a very small bridge over a canal. This bridge was packed with people who were shouting every now and again. I could not work out what was going on....there were three young lads on ropes/ladders from the bridge into the water and with ropes, sticks and a bucket. Suddenly a cheer went up and the bucket was hauled up with something in it. I thought maybe a giant catfish, as there are loads around in the river, although it is said that they taste awful. Anyway the bucket was turned over on the bridge and there were some screams, as a huge turtle started to scurry around. Some chaps manoeuvred it into an area away from the walkway, but I dont know what happened after that, as I had to get the ferry.
As I was back at the hotel well before sunset, I did consider going for a swim. But the thought of dusk time mozzies put me off and I just had a shower and got ready to go and check out the little restaurant I had seen on the first night.
I was on the ferry again soon after 7, and at the restaurant before 7.30, but it was already packed out. I walked around the area and realised that it was just one of dozens next to each other in the area. They were all packed out. But many/most of the others did not seem to have beer, just water. Anyway just opposite, was a place that looked a bit more expensive, but their menu looked good, and I found a spare table outside. I ended up with a G&T (better than any of the others I had so far, and it came with some little crispy chip type sticks), then had pork satay and Thai fried rice with chicken, and a draft beer, all rounded off with an ice cream. The bill came to a massive 620 thb which is around £15, but was worth every penny.
Then back onto the ferry, final walk to hotel and bed.
Pictures – day 6 https://www.flickr.com/gp/75686213@N06/226r06
BKK day 7
Had decided to visit Ayutthaya today to see something a bit different !! Wow it turned out to be another interesting day with three little surprises.
So after breakfast I left the hotel on the free shuttle to the local station at 0930, and made my way to the main railway station at Hua Lamphong, getting there soon after 1015. The next train to Ayutthaya was an air conditioned special express at 1050, and I got myself a ticket. The sky was blue and the sun was getting hot, so the idea of an air conditioned journey was very appealing.
We left spot on at 1050, and almost immediately they brought round a meal. I was definitely not expecting this, and it was the first of three surprises for the day. It was basically curry, rice and boiled eggs plus a glass of water. The curry was a bit too spicy for my liking, but the boiled eggs and rice were nice, but as I was still quite full from breakfast, I couldn't eat much.
The train went very slowly and kept stopping for the first couple of miles. It then seemed to get going properly only to stop very suddenly with a jolt. There was a lot of determined walking up next down through the train by the driver, and another chap (maybe some kind of engineer) and we stayed put for well over half an hour. This delay was surprise number 2. There is only one line for the first five miles or so, out of BKK, so all trains (both ways) were now being held up. Eventually we went slowly to the next station, which was Bang Sue junction, and got there at 1215 (one hour later than schedule). And we sat there for ages. The story unfolded that the train was 'broken' and that they were sending a replacement from Bangkok. Unlike the U.K., no one got agitated, everyone spoke calmly, although of course I could not understand a word.
Time was now edging away, and I wondered if in fact I would get to see anything in Ayutthaya. The replacement train turned up at 13.45, and I worked out that I should have 3+ hours of daylight to do some exploring. This would probably be enough rather than abandon the whole idea. According to the timetable, trains ran back to Bangkok until about 10pm, so I was not really pressed for time to get back, and I should easily get a taxi from the station back to the hotel. So that was the plan.
We pulled into Ayutthaya at about ten to three, having really sped up the line. I had already consulted maps etc, and knew that first thing after leaving the train was to walk the 100 yards to the ferry in order to get across the river. And here was surprise number three... the ferry was one that nosed up to the pier and you jumped onto the bow and then walked to the seating area in the middle. On the Bangkok river boats and ferries, there is always a pole or handrail to grab hold of before taking one foot off the pier or boat, on the canal boats there is a rope to grab while still got two feet on pier or boat. But on this ferry there was nothing...zilch. Just step on or off as if you had been born on a boat !!! All good fun !
Off the ferry and according to the map, it was about 1km to the first ruin. Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand until it was ransacked by the Burmese, who stole all the treasure and basically destroyed the city. All the places of 'interest' are now maintained as an historic park, and for some of the temples there is an entry charge, while for others it is free. You can hire a bike for the day to ride around the sites, but I felt that I could do some walking after four hours rest on the train.
So, I walked and walked. I had already sort of planned which places to visit, on the basis that I start at the nearest end of the park and end up to the far end, in the hope that I should be able to get a taxi or tuk-tuk to cover the three or four miles back to the ferry. The ruined temples were very interesting to walk around. The last place I visited was a more modern temple on the other side of a canal, and was just starting to close, so I did not offer, nor was I asked for the 20 thb to get in. To be fair, I did not go inside the actual temple, as I could see it was very similar to others with Buddhas etc., and walking barefoot is not easy for an old man with aching feet.
Normally there is a line of tuk-tuks outside each place of interest, but just when I wanted one, there were none, because most places were now closed. So I walked wearily along the road, and sure enough, before long, there was a beep beep and a tuk-tuk offering its service. The driver spoke no English and in the end we resorted to a map to show where I wanted to go, and fingers to determine the price.
Back on the ferry and over to the train side of the river. I knew I had over an hour to wait for the next train, so I stopped off in a small eating place to have a well deserved beer and a plate of Pad Thai, which in fact was better than the one I had a few days ago, as it seemed more of a local version, and was probably a bigger plateful.
Then I went to get a ticket for the 1916 train. They had no air con seats available, but gave me a 2nd class seat in a non air con carriage. This was fine. Had to cross the lines to get on the platform for the train, and the platforms (on both sides of the line was packed). The sun had now gone down and it was getting dark, and I noticed a lot of small geckos around the station lights.
When the train came in, there was a lot of confusion as the station staff were telling everyone to move down the platform. When the train stopped, it stopped short of the end of the platform, possibly to allow people to cross the lines on the wooden planks laid between the lines at a couple of places. I immediately spotted my carriage (number 2) and jumped on at the back of my carriage. Unfortunately the majority of the passengers destined for the 3rd class carriages at the back, had got on at the front of my carriage (instead of moving down the platform !!) and were working their way to the rear of the train. So it was a real bun fight to get to my seat. And when I got there, someone was already sitting there, so I politely explained that I had that seat, and they checked their ticket and realised they were in the wrong seats. When the ticket inspector came round, almost every other person was in the wrong seat and had to be moved. !!
It was a nice journey, rushing along in the cool of the evening with all the windows open. It was fine until Bang Sue again. We pulled out of the station and then sat and waited for about two hours. Many people got off and walked back along the lines to the station or over the lines to a road to get a taxi. I knew that the moment I did this, the train would move on. The timetable allows 30 minutes for the 5 miles from Bang Sue into Bangkok. Clearly not enough today, and I don't really know what the problem is. Possibly it was repercussions from this morning problem.
So I eventually arrived in Bangkok at 22.55 instead of 21.10. There was a short queue for taxis, but a tuk-tuk driver approached me asking where I wanted to go. After some bartering I got it for 150 thb (a taxi would probably have been under 100) but he sped through the city and got me to the hotel in 15 minutes.
Pictures – day 7 https://www.flickr.com/gp/75686213@N06/ir92b7
BKK day 8
Well I was very tired after yesterday's long day on the trains and amongst the ruins. I slept until 9, and filled up with a good breakfast.
I was keen to see a floating market. Most of them are quite a long way out of Bangkok, so it is best to go on a tour, but then they take you only to the touristy ones which allegedly are not real floating markets, but just put on for show. Anyway there is a small local one in the outskirts of Bangkok called Taling Chan, which is on a bus route and which is open on Saturdays and Sundays. The actual location is on a canal. So I decided to master the bus transportation, and take a look.
Firstly on the hotel shuttle bus to the local skytrain station, and skytrain to Siam Square. The bus stop is by the "central world" shopping plaza, and a 10-15 minute walk from Siam station. I found the bus stop without too much trouble, and waited for a bus in the searing heat. In fact I was in the shade of a street sign, but it was still hot. The bus eventually arrived - an air conditioned bus, which was very welcome in this heat. I paid the 17 thb fare for Taling Chan, and the conductress asked if I wanted the floating market. Taling Chan is a large area so there are several bus stops in the area. Anyway, I was able to follow the route on my trusty iPad, and knew roughly when to get off, but nevertheless, the nice conductress alerted me in advance, so all was well.
Taling Chan market is basically a small land market, with floating pontoons in the canal that double as floating restaurants, and a lot of the cooking is done on some of the small boats moored alongside the floating pontoons. It is all very colourful and interesting. Nearby there is a bridge that carries the railway over the canal, and being the intrepid explorer, I found some steps up to the railway line and a wooden walkway over the bridge next to the train lines. Well I say 'wooden walkway' with a smirk, as the wood was basically rotten and missing joists, but covered with rotten and missing planks. Quite safe as long as you looked where you were going !! I obviously went over the bridge to get some pics from the other side.
Then I saw that there was a boat trip advertised for 3.45, so I booked a ticket (only 69 thb) as I quite fancied having a go on one of these canal boats. They are billed as speedboats on various tour brochures, but they are simply regular long boats. I must admit that I watched people getting on and off before I booked, as you have to clambour over the side, and there doesn't seem to be any rope to grab, like on the regular canal boats. But there were three poles along the side of the boat and knowing where to put your feet, while holding the pole seemed the best way to do things.
Waiting for the boat trip, I found a stall selling fresh smoothies, and got an orange one, (made using four small oranges, ice and a liquidiser). It was just what the doctor ordered !!! Very refreshing and tasty.
The boat trip went along the canal until a canal crossroads where it headed for a local temple where we could get off and visit the temple and grounds. It was nothing special, as I have seen so many temples and Buddhas, but there were numerous cockerels roaming around, and as the Chinese New Year is the year of the rooster, I guess it was pretty special.
The canal ride was very interesting, passing all sorts of houses etc. Where there are major intersections, there are signs, much the same as road signs, and a there are no traffic lights, you have to hoot a few times when approaching blind corners, as you can't really suddenly stop. I must say that I now understand why they are called speed boats, as a couple of time, when there was no other traffic about, the driver turned the throttle up and we scooted along like mad, throwing up a load of spray and making big waves behind. The trip was just right, about an hour and a bit altogether, so it was about 5 when we docked back at Taling Chan, where things were being packed away.
From the bus, I had noticed an interesting Wat near Taling Chan, and decided to walk back to there to take a look and take pics. Luckily there was a bus stop nearby and after looking at the Wat, the charm of the Buddha must have been working, as a bus came along almost straight away.
Initially I had thought I'd simply get the skytrain home, but on the bus, we passed 'Democracy roundabout' which was quite picturesque, and I thought it might be an idea to have a look at the Victory monument roundabout located a few miles away, (as I had not seen it yet) that is often mentioned in the guide books. So I got a skytrain north instead of south and got off at Victory monument. An interesting place - kind of like Trafalgar Square in a way.
Then back on the skytrain to head home, but I went in wrong direction and ended up in Mo Chit where there is an enormous market called Chatuchak, which I could see from the station platform. It was now dark, so could not get any reasonable pics of the market, which I think turns into a fantastic night market later. In any event, it seems to be so big, that photos would not do it justice, even in good daylight etc.
So, no problem, just back on the train, and decided to get off at Samphan Taksin, so as to have last meal at the place I had enjoyed a few nights ago. No disappointment, with G&T, draft beer, chicken satay, and pad Thai with shrimps. (the Pad Thai in Ayatthura was actually the best !).
Then onto the little ferry for the last time over the river and the ten minute walk back to the hotel. I stopped to buy a couple of little pastries from a stall, to sweeten off after that lovely meal.
Well I shall now have to get into 'going home' mode. It has been a tremendous adventure, and I think I have packed a lot more into my 8 days than I had thought I would. The time of year is right, the location by the river has turned out to be great, and the food delicious. But I am of course looking forward to getting home (and resting those feet !!).
Pictures day 8 https://www.flickr.com/gp/75686213@N06/6eQ7kg
BKK day 9
Left the hotel by taxi soon after 10, having had to barter the fare as the taxi driver did not want to use his meter. He claimed that this was because he was not licenced to pick up at the airport, so had to come back to town empty. In fact I suspect it was just a tax fiddle, as I ended up paying almost the same as I had on the day I arrived. It was an hour to the airport, where I was able to check in immediately at the Eva Air standby desk.
Flight was good, and had the added bonus of a go around at LHR due aircraft ‘traffic jam’ on taxiways, preventing the aircraft ahead clearing runway as quickly as expected.
