M-whY

Tha Banglamphu, a stop of the Chao Phraya River Express boat, is only a short walk away from Khao San Road. Fares vary depending on distance travelled, but for only nine baht, it would take me all the way downtown. Not only was it cheap, it was faster and more comfortable than trying to solve the incurable mess that is Bangkok traffic. Everyone, including businessmen, students, monks, and of course, tourists, makes use of this commuting option.

We cruised past some of the city's more impressive sights, such as Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of the Dawn. The river highway was busy with boat traffic, which included these huge barges being towed by little tugboats. Stops were made every few hundred meters to pick up and drop off passengers. At Tha Sathon, I joined the disembarking group, and got on the BTS Skytrain.

It's unfortunate that the Skytrain's coverage is rather limited, or getting around in Bangkok wouldn't be as daunting a task. The union of taxi drivers certainly won't be complaining though. Clean, modern, and fast, there'd be a lot of taxis out of work if it were expanded beyond the current two lines. Again, fares varied depending on how far I wanted to go, but for a couple coins, I was able to hop a few stations to Sala Daeng, from where a couple minutes of walking brought me to Lumpini Park.

An oasis in the middle of a metropolitan sprawl, Lumpini Park is a welcome lull from the chaotic noise. People stretched out under the trees, set up picnics next to the two artificial lakes, or stayed fit by jogging along a designated track around the perimeter. I noticed a group of tourists staring at something in the lake.

"What are we looking at," I asked them.

"There's this big lizard, iguana thing that crawled into that pipe over there. We're waiting to see if it comes out again."

It did, after a couple minutes.

"Has it come all the way out of the water before?"

"Not yet."

We continued watching it for a little bit longer, but moved on when it became apparent that it had no intention of coming on land. (I'd later find another one tanning itself in the sun.) The sight of so many people napping made me a bit sleepy too, and so I found an unoccupied bench and dozed off for a while. It's not like I had anything important to do. Again, I was just trying pass the five days requisite for my Vietnam visa.

Having succeeded in getting this far, I wondered if I could get back to Khao San continuing my boycott of taxis. To make things more fun, I wouldn't backtrack, and try to make use of the subway and bus system, the two modes that rounded out Bangkok's public transportation system. The subway was easy enough. Taking a bus though, wouldn't be as simple.

Without a map of the routes, I really wasn't sure where the buses would take me. And when I emerged from underground onto the 12 lane, Rama IV road, I wasn't even sure which direction I wanted to go in. I pored over my inadequate guidebook (I think a rant on how useless the Lonely Planet is will soon make its way into a future entry) before finally concluding that I wanted bus number 53, and that I should catch it on the other side of the street.

Bangkok's buses cover every major street and depending on time of day, can get quite crowded. It's not the fastest way to get around town, but by far the cheapest. For five baht, it took gave me a look at the sights and sounds of the Chinatown and Ko Ratanakosin districts, before dropping me off near the pier I began the day at.

So while I didn't do anything exciting or see anything scenic, I still felt a sense of accomplishment. This is one tourist that has shed his reliance on taxis!

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!