EC-Rider Travels

Another important appointment this morning with the nail bar to have my toes done! Sweet Ali was again my escort and trying to help me explain what I wanted to the non-English speaking Thai girl .. hilarious. He then returned to escort me on a quick shopping spree to buy a few essentials for the next/final leg of my journey – he is so patient! We then headed ‘down town’ to Tha Maharaj, where we to meet Tippy and Otto our boat driver…. another wonderful surprise organised by Tippy. We had the happiest few hours sailing on a beautiful and very comfortable Supatra long-boat, (once again thanks to one of Tippy’s friends) travelling down the Chao Phraya River and into the side canals or Klongs. This is where we saw a very different side of Bangkok, and perhaps more reminiscent of how I remember it forty years ago.

Once referred to as the Venice of the East, the canals date back to the founding of the city in 1782 and were originally their primary means of transport, source of food and water and an important part of ceremonies etc. Although now less used, they are still home to quiet communities living in higgledy piggledy wooden houses on stilts, in the water, with corrugated tin roofs and little wooden verandas. They seem to go back several houses deep, with walkways between them and their own little shops and markets. Many of the houses are in a pretty poor state of repair and collapsing into the water, but it is still a thriving community travelling their around in boats.

A number of important temples remain along the way, facing on to the canals. We stopped at a small temple called Wat Kamphaeng Bangchak which had the most beautiful carved wooden roof and carvings around the doors.

Next we stopped at a rather crazy sort of art coffee house, full of little artisan and ‘antique’ shops selling the most wonderful ‘old’ things! It was clearly a destination for the young, with lots of courting couples and girls buying beads and making jewellery or getting together to work on school assignments.

We refrained from buying anything and headed back out to the river passing another gigantic Buddha – Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen,

Last stop was the Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) which sits on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. Deriving its name from the Hindu god Aruna it has existed since the seventeenth century although its distinctive 79m central tower or prang was built by Rama II & III two hundred years later. This is surrounded by four smaller towers all decorated with cowry shells and broken pieces of Chinese porcelain which had been used as weighting for boats returning to Bangkok from China. There are a surprising number of references to the Hindu faith in this temple including the seven-pronged Trident of Shiva on the top of the central prang and half way up on the second terrace are four statues of the Hindu god, Indra riding his five headed elephant, Arawan.

Most extraordinary of all were the huge number of young people, dressed up in costumes from a popular TV show and re-enacting a scene which was supposed to have taken place at Wat Arun. Endless photos and selfies being taken. Not easy to take one without one of them in it!

We were then dropped at the steps of the well known and still highly regarded Oriental Hotel – apparently Dad’s favourite – where we were joined by tippy’s lovely second daughter Tipa. We had the most wonderful dinner, Alex and Tipa both craving pasta! Once again Tippy knew the charming Swiss, General Manager who kindly arranged for us to see some of the rooms. We were first taken to the Dame Barbara Cartland Suite – very pink – and then to a second which I think was designed for me – all my most favourite colours and very, very beautiful. Perhaps it should be for over $4,500 a night!