All Summer Long

Our hotel is only ever a bridge and a boat away from what we feel are the main attractions of Bangkok. We’ve become well acquainted with a long alley that leads to the riverfront. Ever an interesting journey, we see a hawker chasing away a huge lizard as if it’s a dog. She shouts and bats it away from her rotating chicken, chasing it into the gutter.

Since we’re off the market for pimps and ladyboys, we stay away from the party zone and backpacker areas and take the boat to the temples – Wat Arun and Wat Pho for peace and enlightenment. As we queue for the boat, we realise how hectic travelling in Bangkok can be as they scream “Get on the boat!” before it has even arrived. When it stops at the pier, we hear them shouting “Get off the boat!” and “Get inside!”, and it all blends into one confusing noise.

The journeys themselves are cramped but exciting. We’re using the express commuter boats rather than the tourist ones for authenticity.

The highlight of the temples is the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho which is longer and more intensely golden than you could imagine. We then walk for miles to see a giant swing to find the monument encased in scaffolding.

The Grand Palace is too busy to fully enjoy, though none the less impressive. Stopping short of wearing a ski mask, you really must cover every inch of skin out of respect, or the guards will disrespect you and say entry is “impossible”.

Blink and you may miss the Emerald Buddha, but the temples themselves, the paintings throughout their corridors and the gardens, all with their intricate designs are worth exploring.

We take the shuttle boat over to Asiatique at night and see the city’s reflection in the black water – the shimmering lights that stretch and dissolve in the changing current. Here we find the more expansive markets and evening atmosphere. It’s more touristy than the other shopping centres and markets and has that pleasant holiday feel that you need once in a while.

We’ve loved our time in Bangkok, and next time I get off a train or a bus I hope someone screams at me, for the authenticity.