We enjoyed our time down by the river exploring the various temples. We decided to go back and attempt to bargain for a long boat river cruise. We were greeted by two sleeping dogs as we exited the train station.
Hawkers lined the docks offering tourist cruises around the small waterways flanking the river. The first hawker approached us and offered a river cruise for 1000 Baht. This seemed a bit steep so we passed. The next person we came to offered a cruise for 2000 Baht. Maybe the first deal wasn't so bad after all. We went back to the first stall and asked about other options. It turned out that a boat was about to depart with another group and we were able to piggyback on that cruise for only 700 Baht (<$25). We soon found ourselves scrambling into a rocking boat with three other people (we think they were Scandinavian tourists).
We got a refreshing, mist-filled ride down the river and then we veered into one of the canals. A woman paddled up to our boat and started offering trinkets (mini-Buddha?) and refreshments. This was one of the few remaining floating markets in the area. Our boat-mates bought a couple beers and we were on our way again.
We saw lizards sunning themselves on pieces of flotsam. We passed a snake farm but decided not to stop. Of course, there were temples galore. We saw both poverty and wealth along the canals, often side-by-side. We saw a woman getting her hair done along the river bank -- her hair a mass of pink curlers. We saw another woman shampooing her hair in the river water.
It was a relaxing and eye-opening afternoon along the water. I was entertained when we saw a tuk tuk laden with colorful balloons stuck in traffic as we waited for our train.
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