This morning began with me running into a little parade as I was leaving my hostel headed for the Grand Palace. Apparently, some sort of royal event was going on today, making the palace hard to access this morning. Instead, I decided to go on a boat tour.

Thonburi klong tour

This hour-long tour took me through the canals on the western side of the Chao Phraya River on a long-tail boat. To my surprise, the guide didn’t wait for more visitors to join the tour, so I had a private boat all to myself! (Looking into other boats going by, this is the way it generally goes.)

The canals are jam-packed with houses, shops, and even galleries on stilts. Along the banks I saw large lizards, ducks, chickens, cats, dogs, and many birds suspended in birdcages on people’s porches. Old men and women approached on small boats packed with fruit, drinks, and souvenirs; one of them strongly suggested I buy a beer for my driver, and I went ahead and obliged!

This whole area is very calm. The only sounds come from boat engines and birds calling out. Unfortunately, more than a few of the houses have fallen into disrepair, and there’s a great deal of trash floating in the water. You can’t go long in this area without seeing a temple along the canal, though, and these are all kept shining and sparking clean.

Wat Arun Ratchawararam

The boat dropped me off at Wat Arun Ratchawararam, or the Temple of Dawn, built in the 18th century and added to in the 19th. This beautiful temple is decorated with small pieces of colored glass and Chinese porcelain, creating a striking effect. You must climb up a short but incredibly steep staircase to the prang (spire), but it’s worth it to see the details up close.

Wandering a little ways up the river brought me through the wat’s gorgeous gardens to the Ordination Hall, which was much less packed with tourists. I removed my shoes and stepped in to view the golden Buddha and ornate murals inside.

Wat Pho

I then hopped on a water taxi that brought me back across the river to Wat Pho, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. I knew this Buddha was supposed to be large, but nothing prepared me for this building-sized, two story giant. It’s a beautiful object, and all along the walls of this temple are bronze bowls where people drop in coins for good luck and to produce pleasant ringing sounds.

The temple complex also includes an elementary school, massage areas, a few chapels, and courtyards full of water features, stupas, and statues. And, from my experience, some lovely cats.

The Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha

The Palace complex is full of stunning sights, but is so overwhelmingly crowded with tourists that it’s hard to appreciate them.

I took off my shoes to view the Emerald Buddha (and broke the rules by taking a photo!).

The Palace itself is still the residence of the Thai King, and the complex includes many other government buildings, along with Royal Reception Halls – which are built in a European style.

I spent some time walking around here, but as I was getting annoyed by the number of tourists, along with being hot and hungry, I decided it was time for a late lunch.

Raan Jay Fai

I took a tuk-tuk to Raan Jay Fai, a Michelin-starred street vendor! Here I had chicken fried noodles and a chrysanthemum tea, and enjoyed sitting in the shade for a while while I ate my delicious noodles.

Khao San Market

After spending some time relaxing back at my hostel, I ventured out one more to to the Khao San Road night market. It was bustling out there, with people peddling everything from fruit juices to bugs on sticks, curries to ice cream.

I ended up having some curry, along with coconut ice cream heaped onto a pile of fresh coconut shavings.

A note: Sorry for the double upload today. I’ve learned that the WordPress mobile app doesn’t support photo galleries, so I had to start almost from scratch when I wanted to edit the last post (which I had begun on the hostel’s desktop). Therefore, too, thanks for scrolling!!