Before heading up to northern Thailand, where my cousin Clare is based, I take a trip out of Bangkok up the Chao Phraya river on the Mekhala, a 70-year-old polished teak barge. My destination is Ayutthaya, the Thai capital until the 18th century and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
As it turns out, it's just me and two couples on board, Terry and Pauline from Brighton, plus a couple from Zurich. Terry and Pauline are right at the start of their holiday and I can't think of a better way to start a trip in Thailand.
As we chug along platters of fresh fruit are served up and we leave Bangkok's temples behind as the riverbank scenery turns from industrial – the likes of tapioca processing (yummy) – to houses on stilts and fishing huts with a birdsong soundtrack. The water hyacinth on the surface of the water becomes more widespread, too.
All the while the river traffic keeps us busy. Hulking great cargo barges with little houses tacked on where family life apparently goes on regardless. After dark they remind me of the prison hulks in Great Expectations. On an altogether more micro scale a man in a canoe tails us for miles, broadcasting his fresh fish wares to the riverside communities.
All the while the river traffic keeps us busy. Hulking great cargo barges with little houses tacked on where family life apparently goes on regardless. After dark they remind me of the prison hulks in Great Expectations. On an altogether more micro scale a man in a canoe tails us for miles, broadcasting his fresh fish wares to the riverside communities.
There's a whistlestop tour round a large and fascinating market. We are quite literally the only foreigners in town, which causes quite a stir with some women stallholders who almost drown out a blind karaoke singer with their cackling. Actually, I do spot another foreigner, taking part in an outdoor Zumba (or Thai equivalent) class in a car park. We're called "farang" here, which originates from the first foreigners being French or Francais – "farang" is the Thais abbreviating the word Francais...
Our overnight stop is right beside a temple. There's a family of pot-bellied pigs in the courtyard. Adisak, our tour manager (who has been working on the boat for 23 years) gives us a tour of the village, which he says is Hmong, one of the tribal minorities in Thailand. We meet the village chief sweeping the road, and his daughter who has just finished her second year studying management at university (Adisak and student above).
As night falls we're served dinner on deck, then it's off to our quarters.
Here's me in mine. I do like a nice cabin.
Here's me in mine. I do like a nice cabin.
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