We slept very well in our 52nd floor suite but had to wake early for our 7.30am tour pick up. It was a beautiful blue morning for our cycle tour, run by Spice Roads www.spiceroads.com.
Our guide, Tau, and his driver, Sit, collected us in a minibus with another couple, Emily and Dave from San Francisco. The hour and a half drive to the Floating market passed quickly with conversation and watching the changing scene outside. I was amazed at how quickly the view altered from city to countryside and that they produce so much here in Bangkok. There are big salt fields, where they turn seawater into salt crystals. Apparently it takes a week or two for the salt to crystalise, depending on the humidity, and then it is scraped into bags big and small, and transported for commercial sale as well sold in smaller bags at the side of the road.
The floating market, whilst touted as one of the most 'touristy' in Bangkok, was not as busy as I'd expected. The narrow canal could carry up to 5 or 6 boats across, and each boat is filled with fruit and vegetables, seafood and spices. Some are carrying tourists, and some belong to hawkers, preparing and selling their meals from the canal to other traders.
The markets around the canals were full of clothing and bags and artworks, and we enjoyed our allotted 40 minutes for a look. I thought that the prices were very good, but Tau said that in the markets in town prices were much better.
From the floating markets we boarded a long tail boat and traversed the canals, the driver expertly manoeuvring the long boat around corners (just like road intersections).
There were many other boats in the early sections of the canals, but then as we moved away we were on our own to enjoy the views of temples, fields and beautifully constructed traditional wooden houses on the canal side. I was surprised at how beautifully kept the canals and houses were. Most had gardens on the walkways around the house and often children and the older folk would smile and wave as we passed.
The boat trip took us out into the main river and finally to a large temple, where Tau explained the story of the beautiful carvings on the walls and also why Buddha is depicted in both male and female form (so that no one falls in love with him).
Hopping on our mountain bikes for the first time we set off into the countryside on very quiet, very well maintained roads. I had expected to be a lot more uncomfortable in the traffic or on dirt paths, but the riding was extremely easy and therefor making it enjoyable to look around and observe as much as possible rather than constantly looking at what the bike was negotiating. The bikes, helmets and drinks were all supplied by Spice Roads, and the minibus met us at each stop to refill the drinks and check on us and the bikes.
We passed field after field (really looked like forests) of companion planted banana and coconut plantation. Each row of trees had an irrigation trough adjacent to it, often covered in green water weed. It looked very oasis-like; cool and green and lush.
We made a stop at a temple that had been overgrown by four types of plant and looked very much like the pictures I've seen of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It housed a large golden Buddha which seemed to sparkle with all the tiny pieces of 24 karat gold that the temple visitors stick on as offerings.
Sit met us with freshly cut pineapple and rambutans, drinks and icy cold towels, all of which we appreciated. The temperature was at least 40 degrees and the sun was searing on bare skin. I do highly recommend this trip, but it was very hot and we cycled 30km in total during the day (all flat and un-technical riding), so it may not be for everyone.
We continued past small townships and plantations, saw a coconut processing plant (plant = many people de-husking and draining the coconuts) and stopped for lunch at a restaurant on the riverside. I am not a great fan of Thai food, but I ate everything that was served to us (Tau ordered as the menus are in Thai) and it was all incredibly delicious. There was coconut milk soup with chicken and lemongrass, wing bean salad with prawns and chili, plenty of rice cooked in stock, chicken and cashews and thai omelette.
Only 10 km to go after lunch, and some of this was back on proper roads with traffic. The roads between the fields of coconut and bananas were the best - quiet and often shady, with the only noise our tyres humming on the tarmac. When we returned to the floating markets they had been packed away (6am til midday). The minibus was waiting and we all gratefully clambered into the airconditoning and spent 2 and a half hours getting back to the hotel! It was crazy Friday afternoon traffic (and we left at 2.15pm) and despite the highways being quite generous, there were toll points at which 6 lanes had to merge to two, and straight after, our highway merged with another. We all admired how the Thais used the roads to the fullest extent - if there were two lanes, they neatly made 3, etc. No tooting or yelling - it was all remarkably quiet and calm.
Elated to be out of the minibus, with a tip and a wave to Tau and Sit, we raced for our airconditioned room and a shower.
Feeling better we decided to walk to the Patpong night markets. We really enjoy walking around as much as possible to observe the less touristy areas and local people at work and play. The aromas in Bangkok are incredible - from hunger-making smells of garlic and chili and charcoal roasted chicken to overpowering rotting refuse in a step or two.
The night markets sell copy label clothes and bags and watches, as well as food. The market street is lined with bars - the scantily clad dancers clearly visible through the open doors.
Very weary by now, we caught the sky train home.
Our guide, Tau, and his driver, Sit, collected us in a minibus with another couple, Emily and Dave from San Francisco. The hour and a half drive to the Floating market passed quickly with conversation and watching the changing scene outside. I was amazed at how quickly the view altered from city to countryside and that they produce so much here in Bangkok. There are big salt fields, where they turn seawater into salt crystals. Apparently it takes a week or two for the salt to crystalise, depending on the humidity, and then it is scraped into bags big and small, and transported for commercial sale as well sold in smaller bags at the side of the road.
The floating market, whilst touted as one of the most 'touristy' in Bangkok, was not as busy as I'd expected. The narrow canal could carry up to 5 or 6 boats across, and each boat is filled with fruit and vegetables, seafood and spices. Some are carrying tourists, and some belong to hawkers, preparing and selling their meals from the canal to other traders.The markets around the canals were full of clothing and bags and artworks, and we enjoyed our allotted 40 minutes for a look. I thought that the prices were very good, but Tau said that in the markets in town prices were much better.
There were many other boats in the early sections of the canals, but then as we moved away we were on our own to enjoy the views of temples, fields and beautifully constructed traditional wooden houses on the canal side. I was surprised at how beautifully kept the canals and houses were. Most had gardens on the walkways around the house and often children and the older folk would smile and wave as we passed.
The boat trip took us out into the main river and finally to a large temple, where Tau explained the story of the beautiful carvings on the walls and also why Buddha is depicted in both male and female form (so that no one falls in love with him).
Hopping on our mountain bikes for the first time we set off into the countryside on very quiet, very well maintained roads. I had expected to be a lot more uncomfortable in the traffic or on dirt paths, but the riding was extremely easy and therefor making it enjoyable to look around and observe as much as possible rather than constantly looking at what the bike was negotiating. The bikes, helmets and drinks were all supplied by Spice Roads, and the minibus met us at each stop to refill the drinks and check on us and the bikes.
We passed field after field (really looked like forests) of companion planted banana and coconut plantation. Each row of trees had an irrigation trough adjacent to it, often covered in green water weed. It looked very oasis-like; cool and green and lush.
We made a stop at a temple that had been overgrown by four types of plant and looked very much like the pictures I've seen of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It housed a large golden Buddha which seemed to sparkle with all the tiny pieces of 24 karat gold that the temple visitors stick on as offerings.
Sit met us with freshly cut pineapple and rambutans, drinks and icy cold towels, all of which we appreciated. The temperature was at least 40 degrees and the sun was searing on bare skin. I do highly recommend this trip, but it was very hot and we cycled 30km in total during the day (all flat and un-technical riding), so it may not be for everyone.
We continued past small townships and plantations, saw a coconut processing plant (plant = many people de-husking and draining the coconuts) and stopped for lunch at a restaurant on the riverside. I am not a great fan of Thai food, but I ate everything that was served to us (Tau ordered as the menus are in Thai) and it was all incredibly delicious. There was coconut milk soup with chicken and lemongrass, wing bean salad with prawns and chili, plenty of rice cooked in stock, chicken and cashews and thai omelette.
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| View from the restaurant at lunchtime |
Elated to be out of the minibus, with a tip and a wave to Tau and Sit, we raced for our airconditioned room and a shower.
Feeling better we decided to walk to the Patpong night markets. We really enjoy walking around as much as possible to observe the less touristy areas and local people at work and play. The aromas in Bangkok are incredible - from hunger-making smells of garlic and chili and charcoal roasted chicken to overpowering rotting refuse in a step or two.
The night markets sell copy label clothes and bags and watches, as well as food. The market street is lined with bars - the scantily clad dancers clearly visible through the open doors.
Very weary by now, we caught the sky train home.
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