26/3/25
We probably would have stayed where we were, but it was booked for the next two nights. We had a lazy morning and packed up at 11am. We then rode the two kilometres, past the grand palace, to Roger’s boat.
Roger was there to greet us. We locked the bikes to the railings on the floating platform. Then covered them with one of the tarps to keep off the powerful rays of UV. We locked our belongings in our panelled wood cabin, then ventured to Tha Maharaj pier, a few hundred metres away.
There were tourist boats for sightseeing as well as normal boats more like the underground. Also with tourists. We took the yellow line to Si Phraya, about 20 minutes down river. Along the river were temples and grand sky seeking hotels. We went first to River City. A shopping mall cum art gallery. It immediately won points for being air conditioned. We were quickly coming to the conclusion that Bangkok was already uninhabitable. The temperature and humidity meant walking wasn’t an option.
The art display was dispersed amongst the art shops. There were a couple of exhibitions too. Afterwards we attempted to locate a well known graffiti street, we must have failed because the artwork we saw was nothing special. There were a couple of bike parts we wanted and a recommended bike shop nearby. Disappointingly they didn’t seem to have many parts. It was mostly old bits and bobs.
It was early afternoon and we were feeling peckish. Tien Sin was a fully vegan establishment a couple of kilometres away. We bought some incredibly tasty panang curry and our favourite, papaya salad. We tacked on some mushrooms and tofu.
Jonathan had worn his shorts threadbare. He’d ordered some replacements to the nearest decathlon. We endeavoured to get the bus, but google maps and the signs didn’t tally at all. After waiting 15 minutes to no avail, we embarked on what was to be a deeply unenjoyable walk. It was the worst time of the day under the Sun.
We broke the journey with a break in a cool rival convenience store chain, Mini Big C. Bought a mango. And some bananas. By the time we arrived at the Siyam shopping centre we were plenty grateful for the air conditioning again. Sadly the ordered shorts lacked an internal brief. The returns process involved the staff filing it in a google sheet. They had some more appropriate shorts in stock anyway. One more item ticked off the todo list.
Frankie had her heart set on a bubble waffle. She was sadly too full to eat it the day before. It required a return trip to our favourite place, Siam. Walking wasn’t entertained. We soon found ourselves sat in traffic on an electric, air conditioned, bus. It took the same amount of time as it would to walk. Worth 40p.
The shopping centre was heaving. More so than the day before. The food floor was full of ravenous locals and travellers. The array of available options was as varied as it was moronic. The quantity of food surrounding us continued to be mind boggling. Obviously, we were also contributing to the hubbub, but only the vegan parts. 99% was animal products.
Our UPF bubble waffle didn’t disappoint. It was freshly cooked waffle batter, filled with zero sugar, but definitely sweetened, chocolate ice cream. Pistachio sauce and granola on top. Sitting in the food court, another couple even got food envy. After clearly bumbling around searching for the vendor, they plucked up the courage to ask us.
Getting the bus home was equally frustrating. None of the apps such as google or moovit matched the signs and boards at the bus stop. After walking away from the gridlocked area we finally boarded an old bus that was heading in the right direction. We’d stupidly chosen to travel at the worst time possible. The whole city was wall to wall traffic. Whenever the bus stopped, so did the air. Caked in sweat we could only patiently wait for it to end.
We had to be patient. The bus driver pulled over at one point, and sat on the phone. Presumably it was something to do with the broken down bus in front of us. The traffic thinned and we were enjoying the sights soon enough. When we got off, we bought some ice and a soda water to drink when we got back.
Roger was watching a Nicolas Cage film when we got back. His dog seemed spooked by our presence. We quickly stripped off and put the air conditioning on. We had no idea how it worked on a boat but we weren’t going to question it now.
The boat had many levels. Jonathan plonked himself on the very top for a little while. There was a set of deck chairs up there, along with the 4 air conditioning units. It was nice to view the array of boats using the river. Ferries up and down, platforms going across and large trawlers tugging goods.
It was after sunset. We couldn’t be bothered to go anywhere. We shared a pack of noodles and some shredded vegetarian ‘squid’ we’d been carrying. Sat on the front of the boat we watched the numerous dinner cruises pass by. We were taken aback but the number of people that had sought out the experience.
As we’d often end up in hotels or houses that had little natural light, it was a real treat to have such nice views of the area around us. Even if the light pollution made it look almost like daylight. When we got back to cosy, purple curtained, cabin it was after 9pm. We ate some fruit and watched Years and Years.
Overnight the water became calm and still. Rather than being agitated by the many boats passing by. We slept well, although the air conditioner often made it too cold and needed adjusting a couple of times.
Surly They Won't Make It 