Travel for me has always been about seeing life from a different perspective, stepping out of my comfort zone, and experiencing another’s culture, history and worldview. Which was why we planned today’s itinerary to let us explore the heart of Bangkok.
I admit that at the time of planning, it was rather daunting to go against the “conventional wisdom” of some who insisted that kids generally won’t like temples or walking around the city streets. But I was equally stubborn to insist that a visit to Bangkok would not be complete without taking a boat ride down the Chao Phraya and seeing at least one temple. So we went ahead and did both – the anticipation and awe (coupled with some apprehension!) from the kids confirmed we made the right decision :)
Starting with Chao Phraya river ride, we passed on the cushy Tourist Boat (150baht for day pass) and took the regular boat (15 baht) instead, as we were only going on a single trip down the river for the experience. It turned out to be a very welcome change from getting stuck in the infamous Bangkok jams – the boat ride was refreshingly open and breezy.
And there was lots to see…
Many of the major tourist sites are easily accessible from the river - we took the boat from Sathorn Pier to N8 Tha Tien Pier, where Wat Pho is located. We found it a great way to get around, although it did get rather packed with locals and tourists, and the pier where we alighted was made up of just a few pieces of planks which took us through a bunch of wooden shacks that were flooded by the incoming tide. None of the guidebooks had mentioned that, so it was quite an eye-opening experience!
En route to Wat Pho which is about 200m away from the pier, we were greeted by “yucky fishy smells” (quote Anthony) wafting from stores selling all sorts of freshly dried seafood…
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