AmyHuang
She had me at: Lady! Don't go there!
Bangkok, you finally got me.
It took a little more wandering around aimlessly to find that chemistry, and it came in the form of a tuk tuk driver and a kind lady.
Yesterday, I had determined not to spend mor than 200Baht, I had a late breakfast (lots of bananas and breads for energy) so I wouldn't have to have lunch, checked into my next hotel, dropped off my stuff and started walking.
I walked to the ferry terminal and hopped on the public ferry. The water level was higher than the day before and you could see the fast flowing current trying desperately to flush out the excess water coming from upstream. Perhaps what they say might come true, Bangkok may not be saved from this flood after all. The ferry took me closer to the Grand Palace where I was hoping to head to, however I ended up getting lost in the back streets so it took me a while to find the painted white walls signifying that I was close. I turned the corner and noticed something really odd: the roads were completely empty and everyone was speaking in hushed tones. Bangkok never has empty streets, so I kept walking, trying to sniff out the cause of the situation. That's when he shouted "Hey lady! You can't go there! You get in trouble by police!"
Getting in trouble by the police in Thailand did not sound like fun, and before I can even think about my reply, a hand touched my arm. "The King! You can't go! Stay here, 15 mins."
This is when I noticed that I was surrounded by a troop of police, hordes of military personnels in their ceremony uniforms and a red-coated military band surrounding Wat Pho. My new found friend was a tuk tuk driver named Supron. He told me the royal family is coming, there is a funeral and we must wait.
While we waited, he told me that he lives between Bangkok city and the airport, and that his home is currently in waist deep water. I enquired after his family. "They are fine," he said "we must live with relatives now until water go."
I asked if he was sad about this flooding business. "Sad? No time for sad. I must work!"
We watched as the royal entourage entered the compound, and when the roads re-opened, I bid him farewell. "Where you go? You no want tuk tuk? I drive you cheap!" I was still sticking by not spending so I thanked him and declined. We shook hands and parted ways.
I walked a further three blocks and came to a big bus junction. I was getting tired by now and with no BTS or MRT stations nearby, I thoguht I'd check out the local bus.
As expected, everything was in Thai, so I sought assistance. Putting on my best smile, I asked a few businessmen if they knew which bus could take me to one of the BTS stations. No one seemed to know as they were only familiar with their own routes home. Just as I was about to give up and hail a taxi, I got my second tap on the shoulder of the day.
"Where you go?" a lady asked. I said I wanted to go to a BTS station. Any of them. She also didn't know which bus would be good for me, however she did speak Thai. She asked me to wait and I watched her going through the crowd asking on my behalf. About 5 mins later, she reappears.
"Try 47... oh here! It comes! Go go!"
I hardly had time to thank her before I was being sardined into a tin calling itself a bus. I looked around the bus hoping to find clues as to where it was going. Finding no clues, I hoped for the best.
She was not wrong. 30 mins later, the bus rattled into the bus bay of a BTS station.
In order to charm me, Bangkok threw everything at me, including an appearance by the royal family, however in the end, it only took two strangers to spark that chemistry leaving me smiling and completely satisfied.
Images of Bangkok part II:
It took a little more wandering around aimlessly to find that chemistry, and it came in the form of a tuk tuk driver and a kind lady.
Yesterday, I had determined not to spend mor than 200Baht, I had a late breakfast (lots of bananas and breads for energy) so I wouldn't have to have lunch, checked into my next hotel, dropped off my stuff and started walking.
I walked to the ferry terminal and hopped on the public ferry. The water level was higher than the day before and you could see the fast flowing current trying desperately to flush out the excess water coming from upstream. Perhaps what they say might come true, Bangkok may not be saved from this flood after all. The ferry took me closer to the Grand Palace where I was hoping to head to, however I ended up getting lost in the back streets so it took me a while to find the painted white walls signifying that I was close. I turned the corner and noticed something really odd: the roads were completely empty and everyone was speaking in hushed tones. Bangkok never has empty streets, so I kept walking, trying to sniff out the cause of the situation. That's when he shouted "Hey lady! You can't go there! You get in trouble by police!"
Getting in trouble by the police in Thailand did not sound like fun, and before I can even think about my reply, a hand touched my arm. "The King! You can't go! Stay here, 15 mins."
This is when I noticed that I was surrounded by a troop of police, hordes of military personnels in their ceremony uniforms and a red-coated military band surrounding Wat Pho. My new found friend was a tuk tuk driver named Supron. He told me the royal family is coming, there is a funeral and we must wait.
While we waited, he told me that he lives between Bangkok city and the airport, and that his home is currently in waist deep water. I enquired after his family. "They are fine," he said "we must live with relatives now until water go."
I asked if he was sad about this flooding business. "Sad? No time for sad. I must work!"
We watched as the royal entourage entered the compound, and when the roads re-opened, I bid him farewell. "Where you go? You no want tuk tuk? I drive you cheap!" I was still sticking by not spending so I thanked him and declined. We shook hands and parted ways.
I walked a further three blocks and came to a big bus junction. I was getting tired by now and with no BTS or MRT stations nearby, I thoguht I'd check out the local bus.
As expected, everything was in Thai, so I sought assistance. Putting on my best smile, I asked a few businessmen if they knew which bus could take me to one of the BTS stations. No one seemed to know as they were only familiar with their own routes home. Just as I was about to give up and hail a taxi, I got my second tap on the shoulder of the day.
"Where you go?" a lady asked. I said I wanted to go to a BTS station. Any of them. She also didn't know which bus would be good for me, however she did speak Thai. She asked me to wait and I watched her going through the crowd asking on my behalf. About 5 mins later, she reappears.
"Try 47... oh here! It comes! Go go!"
I hardly had time to thank her before I was being sardined into a tin calling itself a bus. I looked around the bus hoping to find clues as to where it was going. Finding no clues, I hoped for the best.
She was not wrong. 30 mins later, the bus rattled into the bus bay of a BTS station.
In order to charm me, Bangkok threw everything at me, including an appearance by the royal family, however in the end, it only took two strangers to spark that chemistry leaving me smiling and completely satisfied.
Images of Bangkok part II:
Discovering Bangkok on foot, you never know what you'll find
Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn)
View of Bangkok from the top of Wat Arun
The royal guards preparing for the arrival of the royal family.
