{"id":4005,"date":"2019-02-14T13:28:13","date_gmt":"2019-02-14T21:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jeffersonscher.com\/ttw\/?p=4005"},"modified":"2020-02-22T16:20:08","modified_gmt":"2020-02-23T00:20:08","slug":"bangkoks-secret-places","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jeffersonscher.com\/ttw\/2019\/02\/bangkoks-secret-places\/","title":{"rendered":"Bangkok’s Secret Places"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Royal Orchid Sheraton is very close to Chinatown, which is the first stop on our walking tour this morning. I suppose it would be more accurate to say walking, boat, bus and tuk tuk tour, but we will get to that soon enough. The first challenge for my friends is fighting the jet lag and getting to the lobby by 8:15 to meet our guides. <\/p>\n

Thursday, February 14, 2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019re skipping breakfast this morning because our tour involves snacks. So many snacks. Bangkok Vanguards is a small tour company that leads travelers behind the scenes to less visited and sometimes endangered parts of the city. I arranged for a private tour version of the Bangkok 360<\/a> so that we could follow our own pace. I was excited to meet our guide, company founder Michael Biedassek, who has an encyclopedic knowledge of Bangkok. I had first seen Michael in a YouTube video with Mark Wiens, who blogs about Thai food. Their discussion of Chinatown convinced me that this was a tour I needed to take, so I\u2019m glad my friends took my suggestion. Michael\u2019s \u201cwingwoman\u201d for today was Gay, another Bangkok native.<\/p>\n

Our first stop was the public pier next to the hotel, Si Phraya, where we chatted about Bangkok while waiting for a river taxi to take us to Chinatown. Before the subway, before the elevated train, before the automobile, traveling on the waterways was a primary mode of transport in Bangkok. Over time, many canals have been paved over, but that\u2019s a story for another day. Soon we were standing unsteadily on the boat for a couple stops before disembarking at Rajchawong pier and pushing our way up the crowded sidewalks of Chinatown. Michael pointed out significant old buildings, and we all admired the crazy wiring.<\/p>\n

We turned down an alley and entered a maze of narrow passages with a mix of commercial and residential uses, emerging in front of a Chinese temple fronted by a motorcycle\/scooter parking area between the temple and a stage. Michael and Gay described the use and purposes of various of the objects in the ornately decorated neighborhood temple as regulars quietly attended to their business. After about 15 minutes away from the world of commerce, we plunged back into the busy alleys around Sampeng Lane where wholesalers supply vendors from a wide area, and we could get an icy drink, delicious nibbles cooked over a tiny charcoal brazier, or socks, for those who preferred to cover their feet when visiting temples. We also explored quiet alleys where goldsmiths were at work in their shops while older residents enjoyed board games in the shade of their homes. It is unclear how long this neighborhood will survive, considering the intense pressure for development.<\/p>\n

\"\"Chinatown Architecture, Bangkok 360<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Chinatown local temple, Bangkok 360<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Chinatown local temple, Bangkok 360<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Chinatown local temple, Bangkok 360<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Board game in a Chinatown Alley, Bangkok 360<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Bee Lemon drink vendor, Sampeng Lane, Bangkok 360<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
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