Gone skiing

On Sunday it was decided we would take a river boat trip on one of the famous dragon tail boats. On to the skytrain and at the end of the line, we find a wharf and the touts selling the packages for your journey. Norm has turned into a fine haggler in his five weeks in town and we arrange for a one hour trip (not wishing to stop for a tour inside of any temples) For 1000 bhat (about 30 dollars CDN) a boat will be found for us. A quite delapitated thing draws up along a ferry and in we get. Now I should explain that you have to cross the ferry and climb down(without benefit of stairs) into this narrow flat boat that is bobbing furiously alongside while the driver holds on and is shouting instructions in Thai. We set off and you realize this is pretty much how a rower would feel in a scull... that low down. You are also sharing the river with ferry boats, trawlers, high end hotel boats and tugs hauling goodness know what. The river is very high this year. There has been much rain and flooding. Bangkok is only about 60Ks from the sea so the river gets the effects of tides as well. So this river is moving let me tell you, and tough currents everywhere. Every dragon boat seems to be propelled by something different, including truck motors. They are huge and how the boats can actually support the motors and you is not something to dwell on too much.!
I decide very quickly not to sorry too much about safety issues and just try and take it all in. Temples (wats) are everywhere, big ones little ones, all tucked in between everything else. And lots of the most amazing palaces as well. Just when you are wondering how the river and klong people can live in the flooding and swim in the water, another beauteous thing appears to marvel, and to think about. The trip went down(up?) the river for a while and then headed down another klong. We also notice many many very large catfish leaping about our boat. I think they may think we are going to feed them something, or perhaps we are their lunch. Norm is beginning to regret his catfish salad consumed on Friday.
We head back to our dock and now have to figure out how to get out. We are at least four feet below the dock. It is determined somehow, Norm will get out first, me second foll0wed the the others. The involves putting ones foot on a tire, then up on a very narrow piece of wood and finally a heave onto the dock. Mission accomplished very well on things considered,, but it was not the first time on this trip I was very glad to have dropped 25pounds this summer getting ready for this trip. After clinbimg two or three flights of stairs to get on the skytrain in 35C heat, I was very happy to have spent three months marching with the Ohio State Marching Band on my I pod to get in shape. Go Bucks! This trip is not for the faint of heart or legs!
This being Bangkok, we then hop a hotel ferry at the same dock I might add, pay nothing, and cool off with their cold water and cold cloths. Juxtapositions everywhere all the time.
More to come on Bangkok.. as ever Katie