Sawat Dee Kah, or good morning in Thai. Aurum Hotel has a coffee maker in the room, for which I am so very grateful. From my balcony I have my first impression of Bangkok. The river is alive with activity. Tug boats pull large barges; long tail boats zip around like mosquitos and the commuter boats that ferry people up and down the river to work.
Our guide arrives around 1PM and we board a long tail boat, the easiest way to get around in the city, and motor through the klongs (canals). We then tour Wat Arun, known as the Temple of Dawn, twinkling in the sunlight with its gold and glass tiles and then on to the Royal Barge Museum.
Leaving the boat, the walk from the wharf brings an assault to the sense of smell. Fish both fresh and dried, smoking cook fires, exhaust fumes, moth balls and sewage all melded into one noxious nosegay. I notice many of the Thai people use nasal inhalers and understand why. I want one also.
The dinner cruise boats add a new entity to the activity on the river at night. Lit up like jewels, they cruise the river with diners in the open air, music blasting and people dancing.
