Here I am, staying in a nice guesthouse with a view of the canal where foodstands are set up and huge carp cause constant movement in the canal. While I was watching from my balcony, though, a huge monitor lizard swam by, pulled itself out of the water and sunned himself on a wall!
In the evening, I went to the Fort by the Chao Phraya River because I read it was a great place to people watch. That was definitely true! People were all over the park watching the river and waiting for the sun to set, but also engaged in activities. The photo shows 3 people practicing their juggling skills: two men with pins, a man with two ropes with balls (umm - on the ropes) and a young woman with this bar that is meant to have fire on the ends. She needs to get much better before she uses the fire! At 6:00 exactly, everyone stopped EVERYTHING while the speakers played the salute to the King . . . . . and then they commenced their activities after the music ended.
I have tried to attach a video but was unable. Too bad because it sort of captured a bit of the strangeness that makes me like this place. So trying to re-create - Sun is setting, a large barge is being towed upriver, people are sitting and chatting all over the park and there are speakers playing some very nice Thai music with speaker and electrical cords running all over the park and down the stairs. It was very 'atmospheric' and lovely, but would NEVER happen in the U.S.! (Tripping hazard among other things.)
A bit of an add-on: I went there tonight.- my last night in Bangkok to watch the sunset and, in addition to the usual array of jugglers, dancers, yoga groups, young couples, there was an aerobics class for elderly citizens! (I know - I should have joined in!). It was great! Then after the sunset headed to Rambuttri Road for dinner where people tried to sell me everything from frog noisemakers to fake tattoo sleeves and to roasted scorpions and a cool laser that made sparkly lights on the ground! Ah, ya gotta love Bangkok!
A bit of an add-on: I went there tonight.- my last night in Bangkok to watch the sunset and, in addition to the usual array of jugglers, dancers, yoga groups, young couples, there was an aerobics class for elderly citizens! (I know - I should have joined in!). It was great! Then after the sunset headed to Rambuttri Road for dinner where people tried to sell me everything from frog noisemakers to fake tattoo sleeves and to roasted scorpions and a cool laser that made sparkly lights on the ground! Ah, ya gotta love Bangkok!
It's been a fun trip, but signing off for now.
'Til next time . . .
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