18 November 2104. Crazy Canal Boat

So, this was my last day in Bangkok and I felt sad to be leaving. After packing and checking out, I decided to set off to have another look at the Sukhumvit Road area and also to go along from that road to a shopping centre recommended for electrical gadgitry. So I got the MTR to Sukhumvit station and I must say, to me the area around the sttaion is pretty uninviting and seedyalbeit host to two of the three redlight centres of Bangkok. I carried on West down the road and eventually it becomes more - indeed  distinctly - upmarket at Central World. Sukhumvit Road turns into Ploen Chit and all along the way and above is the Skytrain line. Around Central World, between the ground level road and the skytrain is a sky walkway - Hong Kong style. I decided to climb the stairs and get away from the street level traffic and this made life much better.

I walked on to the shopping centre which was an amazing place with a whole floor for cameras, another for phones and so on. Seven floors in all as far as I recall. Needless to say I found what I wanted very easily!

By now it was 2.30 and I was pondering what to do so as not to fritter away the afternoon when my eyes lit on a nearby canal that appeared to have water bus stops. I decided to investigate. Dropping from the busy main road to the canal level was like dropping back 60 years. The canal is lined with old style tin-roof type housing, almost shanty housing. And right there was a water bus stop. within a minute or two the bus  arrived. It was a bit more of a struggle to get on as it was a lot more cramped than the river buses but it certainly went no slower. There was a terrific sensation of speed as we sped along. Most fantastic was the bridges that caused the roof to be lowered - seemingly just in time. A fantastic experience all for 10 bart (20p)

I arrived at a stop not far from the Grand Palace and deep in the Royal zone. The road is a route to the Royal Palace, rather like the Mall.

Nearby were two temples that I decided to visit. The first gave me my first taste of the Temple Closed scam. As II walked to the precincts of the temple a very nice man emerged from an area also occupied by two soldiers, lending him a spurious legitimacy. He told me he was a teacher of English and went on to explain that today was a Buddhist holiday and the temple was closed. Glancing up to the tower of the temple, I was surprised to see a group of tourists and so decided politely to continue on my way. I'll never know what his Plan B as for me.

The second temple (Wat Saket) was the more famous of the two and involved climbing a reasonably steep (man made) hill to the Golden Mount with a chedi, supposedly holding the Buddha's teeth.

Having done the two temples, it was time to take the water bus and MTR back to the hotel for a swift happy hour drink and off to the station.

When I arrived at 7.00, the train due to leave 35 minutes later  was already there and quite well populated. I was in a lower berth and it turned out that above me was to be a Swiss lady who seemed a very seasoned traveller who'd been pretty well everywhere in South East Asia - and years ago. The other side of the central aisle was a very tall Spanish girl who seemed to take quite a shine to the New Zealander meant to be occupying the bunk above. The relationship was damn nearly signed, sealed and delivered in the 14 hour journey.
It wasn't the best sleeper I've ever been on. It was a new idea to me - an open carriage made up of bunks. Populated largely by youngish Westerners, it was never likely that there would be a general silence until the early hours and things weren't helped by the lights remaining on full beam. So the day ended with me trying to read Don Quixote but somewhat distracted by the chat up lines of the oily Kiwi.