This is the kind of thing that happens when you travel by bike.
It was dinnertime, Mike and I were wandering around a protest zone, and while munching on some free food offered to us by some of the protestors, we struck up a conversation with two Thai ladies on bicycles. It just so happens that Jan and Nan are the proprietors of Cafe Velodome, a hip coffee shop and center of Bangkok's bicycle culture.
The next thing we knew, we were being led through BKK's back alleys and canal paths with a group of intrepid local cyclists. They took us to hidden temples, cathedrals, even a traditional puppet show! Pretty cool stuff.
Canal boat – major form of public transport in BKK.
The oldest cathedral in BKK.
Mother Mary with bicycle.
No car roads for us!
Only hidden thoroughfares.
Apparently the king visited this temple once.
Above and below: We stopped for lunch and a puppet show at a great little cafe/theater on a canal that I otherwise would not even have known about. Fun times were had by all.
The puppet show: Not actually my thing really. I spent most of the show walking around the area taking pictures and looking around.
It took us all morning to meander about 15km (10 miles) to the random part of BKK that had the puppet show, and then much of the afternoon to get back. I think our average speed was about 5km/hr, including the parts where we had to dismount and carry our bikes over bridges and overpasses, or walk along narrow footpaths to keep from falling into the water. Fun stuff, thanks Jan and Nan!
It was dinnertime, Mike and I were wandering around a protest zone, and while munching on some free food offered to us by some of the protestors, we struck up a conversation with two Thai ladies on bicycles. It just so happens that Jan and Nan are the proprietors of Cafe Velodome, a hip coffee shop and center of Bangkok's bicycle culture.
The next thing we knew, we were being led through BKK's back alleys and canal paths with a group of intrepid local cyclists. They took us to hidden temples, cathedrals, even a traditional puppet show! Pretty cool stuff.
Canal boat – major form of public transport in BKK.
The oldest cathedral in BKK.
Mother Mary with bicycle.
No car roads for us!
Only hidden thoroughfares.
Apparently the king visited this temple once.
Above and below: We stopped for lunch and a puppet show at a great little cafe/theater on a canal that I otherwise would not even have known about. Fun times were had by all.
The puppet show: Not actually my thing really. I spent most of the show walking around the area taking pictures and looking around.
It took us all morning to meander about 15km (10 miles) to the random part of BKK that had the puppet show, and then much of the afternoon to get back. I think our average speed was about 5km/hr, including the parts where we had to dismount and carry our bikes over bridges and overpasses, or walk along narrow footpaths to keep from falling into the water. Fun stuff, thanks Jan and Nan!
