Oct 3: Evening, Bangkok
Although this is not our first trip to Thailand
or Bangkok, the country has so much to offer visitors that we make new discoveries every trip.On this visit, we took our first longtail ride in a klong (canal), from the Golden Mount to Pratunum. No haggling with the tuk-tuk drivers, no putting up with taxi drivers who refused to use their meters, and no getting caught in traffic snarls.
The Phanfa pier was rather rickety to this couple of land-bound city slickers. We watched how the locals got into the boat and tried to imitate them. Right. Grab the ropes on the canvas roof to hoist yourself into the boat. We dropped in, none too gracefully.
Once the boat sped up, one of the guys on the boat's edge reached into the interior to collect the fare from seated passengers.
Soon, we found out why there were small pulleys throughout the boat. Each ingenuous contraption was attached to a plastic sheet of ghastly white and blue stripes. Tug the pulley and the sheet goes up, an effective shield against splashes from the murky, odourous depths of the klong.
The longtail was fast, noisy and shaky. The locals, however, were very nimble, sliding in and out of the vessel with ease. Very enviable.
This is obviously an affordable and effective means of transport for the locals. For the budget-minded visitor, although you won't see much when the plastic screen is up, this is still an interesting way to tour the klongs.
To market, to market
Our longtail ride took us to Pratunum, the place for economical, mass-produced apparel. Loads of cheap clothing, such as t-shirts, blouses, jean and dresses. Pratunum is another warren, like the Chatuchak Weekend Market.
We bought a few cotton and rather retro-looking pieces to add to our meager wardrobe. In very psychedelic shades, those drawsting pants. With a litte judicious mixing and matching, they should come in useful for the rest of our trip.
Metered ride
After Pratunum, we decided to splurge on a taxi ride back to our guesthouse. The driver turned on the meter, unprompted. Another first, a metered ride.
Unfortuately, we ran smack into the office crowd leaving work. Traffic was choking; we were glad to be in our air-con cab. And the driver enlivened the atmosphere by practising his rusty Mandarin with us.
PS: Here's a humorous companion to a Bangkok or Thailand trip: Thai Lite by S Tsow. Annie & I read this recently and thoroughly enjoyed Mr Tsow's "scribblings".Budget (for two in baht)
Room >> B520 + Longtail (Phanfa to Pratunum) >> B14 + Shopping (t-shirt, pants 2x, blouse) >> B470 + Lunch >> B99 + Fruits (custard apples 2x, guava) >> B35 + Shopping (sundries) >> B188 + Coffee (@Black Canyon) >> B100 + Taxi >> B75 + Dinner >> B237 + Tips >> B20
Next... Chao Phraya, chomp chomp & Chinatown
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