Sunday 22 nd of February 2015 and it is time for yet another photo walk. And this time Photo Walk #36 will take us to Wat Salak Tai Community, a pleasant little community on the left bank of the Chao Praya River as it goes north through Nonthaburi.
So today I will use 3 ways of transportation, the subway to Silom and from there I will the sky train to Saphan Taksin. Last leg will be on board the Chao Phraya Express Boat. I will get off the boat at the Nonthaburi (Pibul 3) station. And that is station number N30. I got off the sky train at Saphan Taksin and I had a picture of the bridge before I continued to the Sathorn boat station.
I can take 3 boats to Nonthaburi, the orange, green and yellow. But the green and yellow boat don't start until later on in the afternoon. So I had to take the orange boat and there were already quite a few passengers waiting for the boat.
Saphan Taksin
I got on board after having had to wait for about 15 minutes. There was a girl sitting on the chair and she told me that she recognised me. Yeah, I have been going on the Chao Phraya Express
Boats a few time the last week.I had a chat with her and we could soon see the orange flagged boat coming up the Chao Phraya River. I was among the first in the line of people to get on board the boat. But I decided to sit on top of a wooden box in the aft part of the boat instead of taking a seat.
We left the Sathorn station behind and the ticket girl was soon coming by and I paid the 15 Baht for the trip to the end station. The Chao Phraya Express Boat was very full after just a few stops. But after the last tourist stop, station
#N13, the Khao San Road stop it was OK.I was lucky that I had been in time for the boat. I had expected it to be a quick trip with the yellow flagged boat that don't make so many stops on the way. But as I had to take the orange flagged boat it was about an hour to get to the end station from the Sathorn Pier.
But it was OK, I looked at the houses and boats on the river and the time passed quite quickly even though I was worried if I was going to make it in time at the end of the trip. But I reached the #N30 Pier quarter to 3. And we were going to meet on the other side of the river at 3 o'clock, plenty time.
A girl on the boat
At the # N30 Pier I have to change to a cross river ferry
At the # N30 Pier I have to change to a cross river ferry
At the # N30 Pier I have to change to a cross river ferry
At the # N30 Pier I have to change to a cross river ferry
Leaving the # N30 Pier behind
I crossed the Chao Phraya River and I paid 3 Baht for the trip when I reached the pier on the other side. It was about 5 minutes before 3 o'clock and there were maybe 10 or 15 members of
the Bangkok Photographers when I arrived to the other side.I was hungry and thirsty, there was a 7 Eleven but as I don't shop at 7 Eleven I went to have a look along the road for water. Most of the places told me to go to 7 Eleven. But I refused to give up and I was soon running in to a shop with water.
I was passing several restaurants but there was for sure no restaurant that I wanted to eat at. There were some food vendors at the pier and I looked around if there were some snacks I could buy. None of my favourite Thai snacks, but I bought a box of coconut cookies for 20 Baht. Well, it
was kind of OK, but this was most likely because of hunger.I think there was 10 small sponge cake styled cookies in the box. I enjoying the cookies with my bottle of water standing up cracking a few jokes with the female vendors. There was one girl, looking like she was 80 and another girl and her daughter and as always in Thailand, they don't mind laughing.
I spend the time with the girls waiting for the Bangkok Photographers to meet up on the pier. And it was way past 3 o'clock before all the Photographers had come to the pier. And we started by going through today's photo walk. We will walking to the Wat Chaloem Phra Kia via the Soi Wat Salak Tai and through the
bushes on a path to the Chaloem Phra Kiat Alley. And at the Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat there is two park called the Bhumirak Chaloem Phra Kiat Park and the Chaloem Kanchanapisek Park covering a huge area along the Chao Phraya River.So we took off and we walked up the road from the pier for about 200 meters before we turned in to the Soi Wat Salak Tai
Bangkok Photographers and we start at the pier
Explaining the route
We turn in to the Soi Wat Salak Tai
We turn in to the Soi Wat Salak Tai
We reach the Wat Salak Tai and it is time for a group picture
We walked up the Soi Wat Salak Tai until we reached a gravel pitch at the end of the Soi. I don't know if they used the gravel pitch as a parking lot for the Wat Salak Tai. But today the gravel
pitch was used by some children to play soccer.There was a small ditch with a wooden bridge that we had to cross in order to get on the walk path to the Soi Chaloem Phra Kiat. But first we were going to have our traditional group picture.
We managed to get together for the picture and we were soon crossing the wooden bridge. It was a flimsy built bridge and I was kind of surprised that I managed to get over the bridge without the darn thing collapsing. Of course, I was the last man crossing the bridge to make sure everyone could cross before the bridge collapsed. We walked through the bushes until we reached the
Soi Chaloem Phra Kiat that will lead us to the Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat.It looked like banana trees around us when we walked through the bushes, and of course, plenty rubbish laying around. You walk through this beautiful area with a bottle of water. Just throw the empty bottle on the
ground. Empty noodle cups etc. There were all kinds of rubbish lying around, toilets, car seats, rags, shoes and everything you can think off.The whole area reminded of a landfill. Along the houses, I mean, you live in a house and you just throw the garbage in your back yard and outside the gate.
Never mind if we destroy our environment as long as we can watch TV
Crematorium at the Wat Salak Tai
The pier at Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat
We walked up the road towards the Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat and it was very hot, and not any sign of any mini mart to buy water. And when we reached the end of the road, reaching Chao Phraya River we turned right and it was so nice to come in to the shadow under the trees at the Wat Chaloem
Phra Kiat. And I was very lucky, there was a kiosk with soda and ice cream at the pier. I bought a bottle of cold water before continuing in the Bhumirak Chaloem Phrakiat Park/ Chaloem Kanchanapisek Park.I brought my bottle of water and I entered the Chaloem Phrakiat Park/ Chaloem Kanchanapisek Park. The park is beautifully located along the Chao Phraya River and it is a huge park. Well, according to the map it is actually 2 parks, at least there are 2 different names on the map. The first thing I ran in to was a Peacock walking around close to the water.
Bridge over the Chao Phraya River
It was a huge park and at is Sunday afternoon the park was full of people jogging around the park. People was exercising using equipment that are placed around the park. People feeding fishes and
birds and of course, people having picnics in the park.It was a beautiful park with ponds and canals and I even saw a turtle, and a dead fish. There were a family walking in front of me and the Grandmother was touching the turtle with her umbrella. I rushed forward.
- Why do you like to disturb the turtle?
Seriously, what if I was poking you when you're out enjoying the Sunday afternoon. No respect! I don't know if she was embarrassed, but they left the turtle alone. Amazing, a statue of an elephant, cow or any animal at any temple is treated with utmost respect, but the real thing, just kill it!
I walked around the park and it was really a beautiful park. Plenty bridges crossing the ponds and canals in the park. The only disappointment was that I didn't saw any more Peacocks. Or any other animals, well, there was a lot of pigeons, at least around the people throwing bread at them.
I also passed people sleeping in the park and it was a normal Sunday in a park in Thailand, people enjoying themselves. And as we're outside “DOWN TOWN” Bangkok all the people was very polite and everyone said hello and wanted to talk. So I was really enjoying my Sunday afternoon with Bangkok Photographers.
We were back at the Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat and we enjoyed ourselves in the shadow of the trees while waiting for all the members to come before going back to the pier and the ferry crossing the
Chao Phraya River to the Chao Phraya Express Boat.We left the temple behind and as we were walking a wee bit quicker than the others we ended up on the wrong street. And that was good luck as we ended up at the Chao Phraya River and we walked back to the pier along the river.
And as the area around the Royal Barge Museum. Beautiful canals and houses looking like shit. Garbage all over the place and houses that need paint. Imagine an area like this in any big city in Europe, would have been beautiful
and very very expensive. And of course, no smell.Some places we passed and it was almost like I had to cut my way through the smell. And if you had a house and garden, would you like your garden to look like a landfill? And the smell that comes with the garbage and God knows what else.
We passed a house, well, more like a hut in a garbage can. An old lady was sitting in what we can call the kitchen. She was busy preparing something. And the garbage just went out the window
Preparing food
Preparing food
Preparing food
We're back at Wat Salak Tai
Old disused pier
No needs for ugly garbage bins in the house
Back at the ferry station
We're going on board the ferry
We're going on board the ferry
We're on board the ferry
On the ferry taking us across the river
We reached the ferry terminal after having walked through a neighbourhood that could have been very beautiful We were starting to get hungry but there was no place aruond that we wanted
to eat at. So we took the ferry across the Chao Phraya River to the Chao Phraya Express Boat Station, Nonthaburi # 30. There might be some place to eat at on the other side of the Chao Phraya River.We bought our tickets to the ferry, 3 Baht to cross the river so it is OK and it only took us a few minutes to cross the river. And as there was a orange flagged boat on the jetty we went straight to the boat.
And we managed to get a seat in the boat, first time I get a seats on a Chao Phraya Express Boat. I usually like to sand in the back so I can get off easy. But now it is a long trip and most of the people will get off at the
Sathorn Pier so it will be easy to get off the boat anyway.We were soon leaving pier #30 behind and we had some water spray over us and I tried to cover my mouth. I was thinking about a girl from England getting caught with heroine on the Don Mueang International Airport.
I read her book and she blamed the incident on the dirty water. She had been on one of the boats and she got a drop of water in her mouth. She got sick and she had to get in
to the heroine business. For sure not a trade I want to get in to.Well, I spent a few minutes in the dark on the orange flagged Chao Phraya Express Boat Saturday night going to Asiatique The Riverfront.
So today's trip back to Sathorn Pier will go down the history books as the first time I go down the river “after dark” And we left Nonthaburi #N30 pier in day light but it was soon getting dark.
I was really looking forward to passing the Bangkok/ Chao Phraya River landmarks in the dark. We were on hour way and it was dark by the time we passed Khao San Road. And I must say, even though I have given up party, I wanted to get ashore to one of the many restaurants and bars we passed on our way.
Waiting to leave Nonthaburi
On our way to the Sathorn Pier
Passing some colourful dinner cruise boats
I had been impressed by Chao Phraya River during the day time, and night time was even better. Plenty colourful light ashore and there were many boats with colourful lights. I was very beautiful. And I have read about plans to build a river walk along the river. There are plenty new projects under construction. I hope they make it tasteful. But most important is to teach the Thai people to have respect for the nature.
If they could clean up the country with a DO NOT LITTER campaign. Clean water in the river and it will be pure enjoyment to walk along the river.
Chao Phraya Express Boat, and I have planned to take their temple tour next Sunday. Chao Phraya Express Boat, the blue flagged tourist boat make a temple tour every Sunday between 09:00 and 17:00. I will make some research about the Chao Phraya Express Boat and if you want to know more about the Chao Phraya Express Boat you just have to click HERE !
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizen visiting my web page. How hard can it
be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page. Jiffy (also jiff)
noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.
So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
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