Quick khlong boat ride

We decided to start trying to figure out where you can go on the system of khlong boats which travel quickly down a khlong (canal) through central Bangkok. This mode of transportation is primarily used by locals; you have to be ready to hop on and off the boats very quickly so as not to slow down their rapid progress. I had been on these boats one time but have not quite determined where you can go. If we can master these, we can travel quickly from our place to spots that can take as much as an hour by other modes of travel. Blue tarps are pulled up along the sides of the boats as they travel to reduce splashing of the dirty khlong water onto the passengers - great idea!  Riders get a view of life for the residents who live along the canal.

This pier is less than 1 km from our apartment

This ride took us to a very busy shopping area.

Pedestrian and auto traffic was heavy. All we needed was a pair of headphones but that entailed moving through a 5 story electronics shopping center full of booth after booth of vendors. Computer parts, cameras, DVD's, tools and other electronics were presented with no order we could discern. But we did find what we were looking for.
   In the near future, we will take the boats in another direction to see just how far we can go and then map out the possibilities for travel.

   We ended the day with a quick visit to a restaurant near our house featuring 4 Thai guys who do remarkable covers of the Beatles.

Pattaya - Been there, done that.....

   We had a long weekend due to the Chulalongkorn Day, commemorating the rule of Rama V, so we decided to take a trip within easy reach of Bangkok. Pattaya is a beach resort less than 2 hours drive from the capital. We arranged details of the trip then started researching Pattaya. After a bit of reading, we realized that Pattaya was not going to be our cup of tea,  but decided to proceed with the trip to escape the heat and bustle of Bangkok. Pattaya used to be a quiet little coastal town; then, during the Vietnam war, it became an R&R spot for U.S. soldiers. Despite efforts to clean up its image, the wildness of the town remains and there is much development and encroachment by Russian investors. 
     As we drove through the town to reach our hotel, there was little appealing to be seen so we decided to  stay out of  the main area of town and enjoy the views and relaxation at the Birds and Bees Resort. This is run by the Population and Community Development Association, the receiver of $1 million from the Gates Foundation for its effective campaign to reduce population growth in Thailand. They run hotels and restaurants in many areas of Thailand, employing many from the rural north of Thailand. All of their facilities have a very upbeat, tropical feel with humorous, sometimes acerbic,  political comments.

Thai resort thoughts.

  We have never spent a vacation relaxing poolside at our hotel but that was our primary activity. We did venture out to a temple on a hillside above Pattaya. It was within walking distance from the hotel, albeit a hot, uphill hike. I have a feeling that the temple was build primarily as a draw for tourists; vendors were selling small bamboo cages full of little birds. The selling point was that freeing the birds in the area of the temple would bring one good luck.  We did not bite!     Temple visitors leave many different offerings at different spots of the temples; some consist of food and personal items for the monks, their sole source of food. Some are figurines of gods, goddesses or animals.  Incense is burned in remembrance of deceased family members; flowers are left in front of statues. Gold leaf is purchased to rub onto statues of Buddha. Temples are vibrant and sensory scenes.