Mark Smalley

Tuesday, 1 Mar - Bangkok
Up at 0530 today, this time not due to trouble sleeping but because we're going on a bike ride with Co van Kessel (covankessel@yahoo.com, http://www.amazingbangkokcyclist.com/, http://home.planet.nl/~roode270/index.html) at 0700. Co is Dutch but has been in Thailand for almost 30 years and takes (and gives) great pleasure in taking groups around areas a tourist will rarely see. The first Skytrain to the river at 0605, probably the second boat to Tha Ratchawong at 0630, a 15 min walk to China Grand Palace Hotel and we meet up with Co and his charming assistant Ms Nong (that's a long 'o' please) in the lobby.
To our pleasant surprise it's the smallest group we could imagine, Co will be up front, us in the middle and Nong, who's a graduate in tourism, at the rear.
We give Co some newspapers and magazines we've brought over from Amsterdam and chat for about 30 min, Co explaining his way of doing things, which boils down to focussing on what you see, hear and smell. He'll provide some comments from time to time but no running commentary. It'll be an easy ride with plenty of stops for filling up and emptying water, Co assures us.
We walk down to the garage beneath the hotel, pick a bike and set off though the back streets, small alleys and even smaller alleys of Chinatown, encountering people preparing food, mending car parts, buying and selling. We come across a junior school where the headmistress is giving the kids a good lecture that she expects them to get a 10 in their exams. At 0800 they play and sing the national anthem, raising the flag in the schoolyard.
We cycle to the river where we pile the bikes on a ferry that takes us to the other side. The ride along the west side of the river takes us to a temple where we follow Nong in lighting a candle and josh sticks. Frequently we exchange simple greetings with the locals outside their houses or shops. Some recognise Co, many show amusement and interest at the sight of the cycling falangs (foreigners). We stop for a longer chat with a little family group including twins of about 4 and grandfather of 42. We are offered iced tea, being assured that hygiene is OK. Soon after this magic moment we stop for some food at a simple roadside cafe near a police station, leaving the choice to food expert Nong. Dishes with noodles, rice and a whole fish appear then disappear. Further along we pass Wat Arun. After ferrying back across the river close to Wat Pho - helping a 85 year old man with bad knees onto the boat - a flower market awaits us, where bunches of orchids are being prepared. We've seen so many things but probably have already forgotten more than we've managed to remember, but we recall the Portuguese Catholic area, a couple of mosques, temples and monks, countless cats and dogs.
We end up back in Chinatown at around 1230 having had an unforgettable experience for a very reasonable 850B each, including drinks and a light meal.

We return to our guesthouse and collapse for a couple of hours, after which we venture out at 1730 for a walk in Lumphini park. Joggers, weight lifters, dancers: it's mainly about exercise. The sun sets at 1830 and we decide to eat at Anna's cafe again, composing a better meal than at our previous attempt. Chicken satay and papaya salad as starters, duck in red curry sauce and chicken with fried noodles, finish up with banana and ice cream and one of their toffee banoffee pies (a good Lonely Planet recommendation), all for 760B including a pitcher of draft beer.

posted by Mark Smalley @ 4:11 PM