woman at the Bangkok flower market
A comfortable place to start our South East Asia journey, with as a bonus some river views and a Christmas atmosphere.
The contrast couldn’t be bigger. Back home it had been snowing, but the day we left the weather got better: it was pouring down with rain, still bitterly cold. When we landed in Bangkok, it was also a bit chilly, but that was from the air conditioner in the airport. Outside, it was a pleasant 30 oC, sunny and humid.
Bangkok is always a good start for a trip in South East Asia. Relatively cheap to get to, and with lots of onward connections, it is a great place to recuperate from the long-haul flight from Europe. Easy going, friendly people, well developed, everything works. We have been coming here on and off for the past 20 years, so our focus is no longer on the tourist sights. Instead, we enjoyed some of the street food markets, and – it being that time of the year – admired the impressive Christmas decorations around the various shopping malls. And suffered every possible Christmas song ever made, inside the malls. If anyone still needs confirmation that Christmas has nothing to do with Christianity anymore, and is merely a commercial concept, come to Bangkok!
food festival
with, for instance, huge prawns
one of the many Christmas trees
an open air stall, with Christmas balloons
lights creating the image of an ice cave
one of Bangkok’s shopping malls
With a day spare we jumped on the commuter ferry that ploughs the Saen Seab canal, or klong, in the local speak, and had us dropped at the end of the line, from which it is about half an hours’ walk to the Chau Praya River. Most of which we spent following one of the other klongs, through some of the older residential neighbourhoods of Bangkok. Somehow, it is incredible that this type of houses still survives in between the high-rise of this mega city, but it provides for an entertaining walk, full of character.
view of the klong, from the commuter ferry
houses along the canal
one of the alleys running away from the canal
a mobile food stall making its way through the canal neighbourhood
garlands decorating a longboat
The best way to move aimlessly from one side of Bangkok to another, is by river taxi, a fast and relatively comfortable transport form, that allows you to get on and off wherever you choose – as long as it is along the river, of course! Many of Bangkok’s temples and palaces are located at or near the riverside, and are visible from the boat. Having a penchant for markets, we hopped off at the flower market, a key supplier to the many Buddhist temples; lots of women preparing garlands, but also lots of colourful fake flowers and other temple decoration material. Great place to wander around. And casually walk to the next river taxi stop, in China town, and hop-on again!
next: the journey to the Nu River in China
one of the other river taxis
palace along the Chau Praya River
flowers in the flower market
this is the yellow flower stall…
and this is the bleu flower stall, aren’t they wonderful?
and some random pics: an open window, somewhere in Bangkok
and woman cooking street food
rose petals in the flower market
