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AROUND ASIA
DRIFTER’S PARADISE By Gavin Nazareth
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No trip to Bangkok is complete without a cruise on the River of Kings, and none better than aboard the luxury live aboard rice barge, Manohra Dream. The perfect way to get away from it all. The sun set like a nosebleed, bloodying the waters of the river. The thick foliage along its banks faded into a dark silhouette. The insect world began its nightly duties in deadly earnest, shrieking in a rising crescendo, while the feathered world began winging their collective way back to tree-top abodes. Darkness would soon drop its velvet cloak upon us, and our helmsman swung the wheel of the rice barge towards the long wooden pier that extended into the water from the grounds of a temple. This was going to be our mooring post for the night. A decade of living in Bangkok, and my wife and I had not really explored what is called the “lifeline of Thailand” – the Chao Phraya River – or the “River of Kings”. This mighty body of water flows 379kms before it slithers into the Gulf of Thailand. The product of four tributaries – the Ping Yom, Wang, and Nan – the Chao Phraya has been the nation’s life force, playing a vital role in Thailand’s economy, history and culture. Over the centuries, kingdom has succeeded kingdom, moving steadily southwards along the rivers: the Sukhothai Kingdom (1238-1350), near the Yom River, Ayutthaya (1350-1767) on the Chao Phraya, Thonburi (1767-1782) on the right bank of the Chao Phraya, and Bangkok (1782-present) on the left bank. Most of Thailand’s major central and northern minor kingdoms were also founded on the banks of this mighty or its tributaries. With such a colourful history and a perpetual fantasy of dwelling on a boat, fuelled by my childhood gluttony for adventure tales it was surprising that I had resisted the lure of the “River of Kings” for so long. There are plenty of ways a person could explore this particular body of water, but the nicest and most indulgent way possible is via the Manohra Luxury Cruises, with an emphasis on luxury. Two traditional teak wood rice barges, christened the Manohra Song and Manohra Dream, have been smartened up to afford the ultimate luxury in river cruising – floating five-star hotel suites that also embrace the famous Thai attitude towards hospitality. One couldn’t ask for a better way to make a childhood flight of the imagination come true. The morning saw us board the gorgeous Manohra Dream, the newer of the cruisers. Some 20 metres in length, the barge is two decks high, the upper deck being an open plan space that includes a sundeck, dining space, a lounge area, and the wheelhouse. The galley is just past the stairs that lead to the lower deck. Downstairs a windowed corridor leads to the two staterooms measuring 20x25sqms in size, fully air-conditioned and featuring tiled ensuite bathrooms with full shower facilities and Bvlgari amenities, and comfortable two-metre-square kingsized bed dressed in the finest linen. Also included are the usual accessories one would expect in any five-star hotel room. The river cruiser comes with a staff of five – a helmsman, two stewards, Opening spread: A view from the porthole. Photo: Gavin Nazareth. This spread (clockwise): The master bedroom; a selection of desserts by the chef on board; at your service; a Thai-inspired mural in the cabin.
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and two chefs, all at your beck and call. After a welcome glass of Champagne, we set off on the first part of our fantasy adventure. The cruise programme offers three options: “The Thousand Golden Temples journey to Ayutthaya”, “The Mystic River Tour to Angthong”, or you can create your own personal river jaunt. We chose the first for no particular reason except that it was the first. Our first port of call is Pak Klong Talad, Thailand’s largest flower market. A personal guide was there to show us around. The market, which occupies both sides of the road is a riot of colours; exotic flora of every hue jostles for space with a myriad variety of fruits and vegetables. The scent is heady, and heavy in the hot summer sun. It is a photographer’s delight. Our two-yearold son gorges himself silly on the fruits the vendors offer him. Just across the market pier is the legendary Wat Arun. Also known as the Temple of Dawn, it is named after the Hindu goddess of dawn, Aruna. The 82-metre prang (tower) was constructed during the first half of the 19th century. Its brick core has a plaster covering embedded with a mosaic of broken, multi-hued Chinese porcelain that was used by Chinese ships as ballast. The noon heat is really beginning to get to us now, but stewards Ant and Goggy are there to provide relief in the shape of ice-cold towels and tall glasses of chilled water. We are soon on our way, our next stop only being around dusk where we would dock for the night at Wat Bangna (Bangna Temple). The concrete and glass monoliths that make Bangkok the city it is give way to a more, dare I say, simpler way of life. A real-life Power Point presentation where we yearn for the next slide. Ornate European villas, incompatible to their surroundings, segue into Thai-style wooden houses, to abodes on the stilts. The air becomes fresher and the foliage thicker. We ease ourselves
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The product of four tributaries – the Ping Yom, Wang, and Nan – the Chao Phraya has been the nation’s life force, playing a vital role in Thailand’s economy, history and culture. into the comfortable loungers on the top deck, while one of the stewards keeps our hyper son busy with a set of animal-shaped bowling pins. Aaah, the sweet smell of a real vacation! Lunch is a feast – Mieng Kam followed by a tender massaman beef curry, a crunchy squid salad, and succulent tiger prawns. Loathe to go to the stateroom below, we opt for a lazy afternoon watching a provincial life unfold, voyeurs into a slice of life very different to the rat race we are in; a mother and her son sitting on a platform that extends from their dwelling over the river waters, she cajoling him to eat, a housewife haggling with a boat vendor, a fisherman repairing his net under a tree. A barge train lazily floats by towards Bangkok almost going under with its load of sand, a dog standing guard in the bow, while its owner dozes in a hammock. Further upriver a young girl uses the Chao Phraya as a giant sink to wash dishes, while another scrubs away at a basin load of clothing. Occasionally a longtail boat speeds past weighed down with children making their way home from school. Vignettes of life thumbnailed into our memories for later recall when the hectic city life overwhelms us. Wat Bangna is our mooring post for the night. While the crew ties up and plugs in to recharge the boat’s batteries, we decide to stroll around the temple grounds. It is outside of Bangkok that the famous Siamese smile shines the brightest. Village women entranced by my son’s antics walk up to make conversation with him, while a monk making me out as an Indian engages me in a
tête-à-tête about Buddha and Bodh Gaya. Back on board, the crew has set up a romantic dinner table, candles et al, for the night meal. While one of the stewards rocks our now sleepy son, we sip delicious margaritas and bite into a medley of appetisers – piquant satay, prawns wrapped in golden noodles, and crisp spring rolls. The inky blackness that envelops the boat is studded by the soft glow of lights, a reminder that there is life out there. In the distance a bridge arches like a glittering necklace over the river. An owl hoots in the distance, and in a nearby tree a gecko clucks impatiently. We sup on another exceptional meal of delicately steamed fish with a lemon dressing, a spicy Tom Yum soup and a Penang Kai (chicken curry Penang style) all served in courses. After offering the two chefs our compliments, we make our way to the stateroom. Tired by the day’s relaxing schedule the sandman soon casts his spell over us. A dreamless sleep, a sense of well being is interrupted by our son’s exultation over the cameo of riverlife unfolding through the bedside porthole. The sun is already wending its way above the horizon. All along the riverbanks, it is the start of a new day. The crew has planned a date with the head monk of the temple so that we can make merit (atone for sins). Once again being Indian becomes the topic of conversation. “Which part of India are you from? Do you understand Pali? Have you been to Bodh Gaya?” The temple also houses the relics of a monk who died a couple of decades ago but whose body is perfectly preserved. After a spiritual disconnect we return to the boat for spirits of another kind – a Champagne breakfast complete with fluffy omlettes, potato wedges, and a selection of cold cuts. While we sate our physical selves, the boat begins its journey Opposite page: Wat Arun at dusk. This page: Cruising the Chao.
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towards our next port of call – a mooring post outside a Buddhist monastery and opposite the Bang Pa-In Royal Summer Palace. After a light Italian lunch, a coach and guide arrive to transport us to Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand. Now a UNESCO heritage site, it is one of the country’s national treasures, and attests to the power and splendour of an empire that dominated Southeast Asia for almost 400 years (circa 1350 to 1767). Our guide, who is well-informed and chatty, tells us that at the height of its glory, Ayutthaya’s population was estimated at more than a million, with 1,700 temples, some 30,000 priests, and more than 4,000 Buddha images all of them cast in gold, or covered with golden gilt. Tragically most of it was destroyed when the Burmese sacked the city in 1767. Today visitors can walk around the ruins of this once glorious city, and visit three excellent museums filled with archaeological finds. Children will love the elephants that take you on a ride through some of the ruins. Back on the boat, the crew is preparing for our evening meal. We sip cocktails as we watch the young novices from the monastery ham it up for our benefit, while the locals fish in the river for their evening meal. Next morning our guide arrives early to give us a tour of the monastery grounds before taking us over to the palace. Other than the playful novices, the other attraction here is the temple built in an unusual neo-Gothic style that is more Christian church than Buddhist temple, complete with stained glass windows. Across the river and a short cable car ride away is the royal summer residence. Like the Escorial Palace in Spain and Versailles
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in France, this is the place Siamese kings chose to escape the worst of the hot season, a retreat from their royal duties. Most of the buildings in the palace grounds date from 1872 to 1899 and range architecturally from chateau to summerhouse, pagoda to lighthouse, and Chinese mansion to Thai sala. It may sound like a muddle of cultures, but in reality it is a place of calm, charm and dignity. Of particular interest here is the Phra Thinang Wehat Chamrum also called the Peking Palace. This mansion is a copy of a monument in the Beijing Imperial Court , and was presented to one of the Siamese kings in 1889 by Chinese merchants who imported it entirely from China. Our ďŹ nal stop before returning to Bangkok is at Bang Sai, a unique Thai village, under the patronage of the present queen. Visitors who don’t have the time to see the rest of Thailand can get a glimpse of a variety of Thai houses and handicrafts from the various regions of the Kingdom. Back on board, we begin our journey downstream. Partaking of the high tea the crew lays out, we take in the sedate life we have become a part of, one that was now rewinding to the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, and its rat race. / For more details on The Manohra Dream charter, email them at manohra@minoret.com Opposite page (top): A Buddha image among the ruins of Ayuthaya. (Bottom): Lounge area on board. This page: Floral display at Pak Klong Talad, Thailand's biggest ower market. Photos: Gavin Nazareth.
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