Published on The Brunei Times
Dinner on the angelic River of Kings
Liz Price
KUALA LUMPUR
Saturday, May 26, 2007
IT IS many years since I last went on a boat on the longest river in Thailand, the Chao Phraya, which flows through the heart of Bangkok. So I decided it was about time to renew my acquaintance with the city. And what better way to do it than on a dinner river cruise.
Our dinner boat was the Chao Phraya Princess. I later read that this is one of the most luxurious of the dinner cruises, with a live band for entertainment.
Setting off upriver, I was surprised at how fast we travelled, overtaking many smaller boats. The river was very busy, all kinds of craft were going up and down. There were many huge barges laden with logs being towed by impossibly small tugs.
It reminded me of an ant towing an elephant. Some of the tugs were pulling huge "trains" of steel barges. The crew were lounging on the decks, some were going about domestic chores such as cooking the evening meal or doing the washing.
There were picturesque old rice barges laden to the gunnels with rice, sand or gravel. These were all overtaken by the buzzing "long-tail" boats. Ferries, water-taxis and every type of small craft imaginable went by. The regular water boats zipped past, stopping at various jetties for passengers. This is the equivalent to an aquatic bus service. Fares are cheap, costing around 10 baht (40 cents).
There is an abundance of cargo traffic as many factories have been built alongside the river. All these vessels formed an unforgettable panorama that makes up the lifeline of "The Land of Smiles" and its people.
Although there was all this aquatic traffic, being on the river provided a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok's busy roads. The Chao Phraya and its associated canals have long been vital forms of communication. There are so many canals in the Thon Buri on the west side that this area was once called "Venice of the East".
When the capital of Thailand was moved to Bangkok in 1782, the capital was laced with canals. The people of Bangkok first settled by the river and then spread out into the surrounding areas.
Going northwards we passed under several bridges, but I lost count of the number. Each bridge was of a different construction and dedicated to prime ministers and kings.
Most outstanding was the illuminated Rama IX Bridge, the longest single-span cable-suspension bridge in the world. The total length of the bridge is three kilometres, and the distance between the main supports is 450m. It carries six lanes of expressway traffic.
Apart from the bridges, we saw lots of buildings, and our guide gave us a commentary as we went past. There are traces of the early Rattanakosin period (from 1782) in the architecture alongside the river.
Some old buildings include the First Presbyterian Church, although the present Samray Church is a 1910 construction on the same plot of land of the original 1862 church. It was the first Presbyterian church of the American Presbyterian Mission in Bangkok.
The 1880 Old Customs House near the Oriental Hotel was turned over to the harbour fire brigade when larger ships necessitated a move down river. The French Embassy is next door, and is the second oldest in Bangkok, and has recently been restored.
The white ramparts of Fort Vichai Prasit can be seen in the Thon Buri area. This was an old Ayutthaya fort built in 1688. King Taksin's Palace is here in the complex that's now the Royal Thai Navy headquarters. We also saw the Thai Maritime Navigation Company buildings.
There are also magnificent temples. The first one we went past was Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn). It is one of the most striking, named after the Indian god of dawn. Its 82m prang or tower is particularly noticeable. The most majestic sight along the river is the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This is the historical centre, and the origin of modern Bangkok.
The Thon Buri bank, across from the Grand Palace, is where some of the original communities lived. The next canal entrance we passed is where the Royal Barges National Museum is located.
The next district we passed was Banglamphu. Here Fort Phra Sumen, built in 1783 to fortify the old city, is located near the mouth of the Banglampoo Canal. It's one of the two remaining forts left from the early days.
We went past university buildings and many modern and quite stunning apartment blocks as well as luxury hotels, greatly contrasted with the rickety old wooden buildings and aging stone edifices.
However, I was distracted from sightseeing for a while when dinner was served. The food was wonderful. When we arrived on board, the cold spread was already laid out, and it looked really appetising.
After the cruise was under way, waiters brought in the hot dishes. There was such a wide selection, catering for all palates, from Thai to Japanese to Western. It was all simply delicious. There were almost 200 people dining and yet the food never ran out. As each tray ran low, it was topped up. I ate so much of the delicious starters and main dishes, I barely had room for the wonderful deserts.
Once everyone was sated, there was live music in the downstairs lounge. I popped down for a look, but as it was not yet dark, I wanted to make the most of the passing river scenery from the upper deck.
Soon we had entertainment there as well, and people were encouraged to get up and dance. So I had the best of both worlds, as I was able to stay in my riverside seat and sip my coffee watching the world float by and being entertained by people having fun on the dance floor.
It was a good ending to a pleasant evening. The Brunei Times
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source URL:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/classification/life/travel/2007/05/26/dinner_on_the_angelic_river_of_kings
No comments:
Post a Comment