February 19, 2019 - Bangkok, Thailand - Tuesday, Day 44

February 19, 2019 - Bangkok, Thailand - Tuesday, Day 44

 We slept well, and woke well rested at 7:00. We do not meet Sylvie until 9:00 so we have plenty of time for breakfast. The breakfast room was up a few stairs. The hostess seated us at a table for 2 looking out at the river. This was a very large room. There was more space for the buffet tables than the ample dining tables. Down a few stairs were juices, fruits and sweets. On our level were every kind of food imaginable. Eggs, Meats, cheeses, sushi, potatoes, rice and soups. The condiments included things we had never seen before. We controlled ourselves, and ate moderately but amply. After all we did not know how long it would be until lunch. :)

When we gathered at 9:00 it was back to the Chao Phraya River. Now we boarded a long, low, covered express boat. We had to climb over the side, step on a seat and then down to the floor before selecting a seat. All boarded without incident, but not without some contortions. I am sure that 20 years ago we all would have done much better.

We sped off into the flow of traffic and headed up the river. Our destination, Wat Arun, The Temple of Dawn, was over 30 minutes away. We left the main river at one point and cruised past some of the many Klongs, canals. Bangkok is also known as the Venice of the east. These canals were built years ago when the area was agricultural. This provided the irrigation and transportation necessary to farm. 

Along the way the pilot stopped to let us take pictures of a 6 foot monitor lizard sunning on a dock. The Komodo Dragons we saw on Komodo Island are also monitor lizards. They become large because they have no predators. We think these do not grow to that size because their predator is man. We wonder what these taste like, but not enough to find out.

Sylvie talked about the great flood they experienced in 2006 when they had 5 cyclones and it rained far longer than ever before. The accumulation of water behind a main dam necessitated that it be opened to release water. Down river the water was already from the rains. This release caused the river to rise and inundate houses along the banks. Sylvie experienced 6 feet of water in her house and lost everything. Nothing was covered by insurance and it was too expensive to build a new home. They made do and stayed in the house. She pointed out the high water mark on the many wooden homes we passed.

We reached Wat Arun and clambered out of the express boat. I am sure some of us will feel the effect of this for days. It was worth it. The towering pagodas are beautiful. The decoration with colored stones and pottery is gorgeous. We climbed to the second level of the main pagoda to walk around and inspect the artwork app close. The work is fine and the designs are precise. The stairs up to this level were the steepest we have encountered in any temple. We negotiated them with care and succeeded handily.

At the close of this visit we once again boarded the boat. We reversed direction and headed back toward city center. Soon we stopped at a riverside temple. Sylvie explained that when someone dies it is custom to bring something alive to the temple. This celebrates the life of the deceased and asks for long life for the donor. At this temple live fish are deposited in the river. The survivors bring bread to feed the fish whenever they visit. We were each given to buns to tear up and toss into the river. The fish knew this game and swarmed to intercept the prizes. There must have been well over 50 fish that responded. The action died as the bread ran out.

We moved on to visit the Royal Yacht Museum. These yachts are actually long row boats built in the tradition of hundreds of years ago. The workmanship in the decorations is as precise as the decor of the temples. Photos were not allowed in the museum. 

The king’s yacht is propelled by 270 oarsmen. There are 6 similar yachts. The oarsmen are primarily navel men. They train for 6 months and rehearse for 2 weeks just prior to the parade on the river. 50 security vessels accompany them. The river is closed to all traffic for 1/2 a day.

We proceeded to the restaurant for lunch when we left the museum. The buffet was a Thai delight. I limited myself to fish curry with spicy rice and prawns with noodles. Delicious!

The bus met us here and we returned to the ship. We thanked Sylvie for a marvelous tour. Kudos to EXC Tours for a terrific In-Depth experience. This is one we will not soon forget.

As we entered the dining room for dinner Dolly, our wine steward, greeted us with great big hugs. Our letter had been forwarded to the cellar master. He read our comments about the three wine stewards who have served us at their daily staff meeting. Allan and Yvette also came by to thank us.

The stewards have not said anything. That is their culture. They just smile wider and serve us even better. we know that their reviews are also impacted by passenger comments.

All of these folks have done so much to keep us happy. The time and effort it took to tout their service to their highest superiors has come back to us a thousand fold in their smiling and gracious care.

The pictures added here represent the opulence of the temples in Bangkok as well as the Palace, some of the local housing, the beauty of the new architecture and life along the river. Sorry for the randomness.