the river thai.

I woke up late.  very late.  late enough to be considered lunchtime. 

while I ordered breakfast, the gentleman in front of me was enjoying his liquid lunch.

bottle koozy. that’s good form right there. 

obviously this man travels often. and loves beer.

gotta admire that kind of travel preparation. 

its hot in thailand.

best keep that beer cold.

after a long leisurely brunch, I decided to set out onto the river and see where it took me.

you can grab a commuter ferry for something like 3 cents and just cruise up and down the city.

theres all matter of life on the river - tourist boats, water taxis, barges, fisherman.

and all matter of pollution too.

the Chao Phraya river is the most lovely shade of chocolate brown I’ve seen.

(no chance in H.E.L.L. I’ll be eating any fish in this city)

check out the little tugboat pulling these 3 barges.

each barge even has a little shack at the stern to live in!

the banks of the river tell the story of an existence dependent on the waterway:

homes, businesses, warehouses, 

and for many, an impoverished life:

 

while, in juxtaposition, the industrialized city skyline looms just downriver:

 

and, of course, there is a Wat (buddhist temple) around every bend in the river.

Wat Arun:

Wat Kalayanamitr:

and the official residence of all kings of Thailand,

the Grand Palace:

so I thought… time to hop off the river and go exploring.

think I’ll see where these guys are headed…