A few Saturdays ago I decided I wanted to be a tourist (and drag Neil along with me), so I found a half day bicycle tour and signed us up. I made two rookie mistakes--I signed us up in advance for non-refundable tickets (it's rainy season, and it rained a lot that day--despite the fact that it has hardly rained for the previous two weeks), and I didn't read any online views of Bangkok's spiceroads.com. (If there aren't critical reviews online yet, there will be in a few days...failing to have an allen wrench means you've earned a harsh review).
Embracing the rain (in our ponchos) and ignoring the ill-prepared state of our tour guides, we set out to have a great time anyways, and we did.
From crowded, traffic-clogged Sukhumvit, we rode to the Chao Phraya River in under ten minutes. Next our bikes were loaded on a long boat, and we were ferried across to Bangkra. No bridges span the river in this area, so long boats are the only option, at the bargin price of 10 baht ($0.35). Bangkra is a different province than Bangkok, essentially making it a suburb. A suburb that is intentionally less developed, with much of the land controlled and preserved by the government.
This map illustrates why Bangkra is described as Bangkok's "green lung".
The area used to have many small fruit plantations, and we saw some coconut plantations still in operation. There are few streets on this island that feels like a peninsula. So we rode on elevated sidewalks over the khlongs and marshy fields.
This photo is from the tour website, as I didn't stop to take photos because I was busy trying not to fall off the elevated sidewalk, especially on the 90 degree turns.
We stopped at a simple wat, or temple, with beautiful Buddhas and wall paintings.
Stupas--family tombs where one part of a family member's cremated ashes are honored. Part of the remaining ashes are scattered, usually in the river or other body of water, and a third part are honored in the family home.
Offerings of flowers, food, and incense are made daily in temples, at stupas, and spirit houses.
Later on our ride we passed pristine, modern, glittering temples which stand in stark contrast to the humble wat we passed earlier.
Then we went to the local market for a delicious smorgasbord of a lunch (and some thorough (and free) first aid for my clumsy scrapes).
Mmm, fried banana, grilled banana, and mini-pineapple.
As the rain slowed on our return, we enjoyed a slice of the glass, metal, and concrete skyline of Bangkok from verdant Bangkra.
Despite the rain, scrapes, absence of Allen wrenches, and poorly fitted bikes, it was a great day in a new part of this city packed with contrasting truths.
