Water World: Bangkok by Boat

In Bangkok, forget or temporarily suspend the Western notion that the main function of sidewalks is for the movement of pedestrians. The facilitation of pedestrian traffic is one purpose, but it’s certainly not the priority.

The narrow, crowded sidewalks also host a litany of alternative functions: food and clothing stalls, motorcycle taxi cues, telephone polls and booths, and grounds for fortune tellers, beggars and solicitors. Ironically, sometimes it is easier to walk on the traffic-choked streets than the sidewalks.

The frustrating obstructions, the oppressive heat and the relentless entrepreneurial salespeople can make exploring Bangkok on foot an aggravating experience. So where is all this leading, you ask? To the water, fellow traveler. If you are looking for a calmer, gentler, more traditional Bangkok, you might consider leaving the frenzied streets altogether and exploring it by boat.

As we glided peacefully down the canal, Joop, the captain, brought me out of my Huckleberry Finn–like daydream.

“To the front of the boat, to the front of the boat,” she called, gesturing vigorously, as we approached a low bridge.

I scrambled out of the seat next to her and rolled across the cushions toward the bow.

Another tourist group, approaching from the opposite direction, seemed to be involved in similar somersaults, moving to balance the boat’s weight.