All the seats on the boat are full and the other people are standing, holding on to a rope as the boat pulls along side the dock. "I will wait for the next one", I say to the Thai woman on the dock. I cannot see how another person can fit on this boat.

I stopped on the way to the canal and bought some fried bananas on a stick from a roadside vendor . The bananas were fried on the grill, then smashed flat on a iron thing, then fried a little more. I pay 10 baht and take a picture...they laugh.

I am on my way to see the Grand Palace, the Reclining Buddha and Wat Pho. I walked a half mile to the canal and then another half mile along a narrow, run-down side of the canal before crossing over to the dock to catch the ferry boat. There are dogs all along this walkway. They don't look heathy, with sores and rough looking hair, but they just lay where they are resting and don't offer to be aggressive or expect any petting. All the dogs and cats here seem to be that way.

The two women on the dock do not speak english and cannot understand where I want to go. I show them the names in english but that does not help either, as they do not read english. Finally, one of them understands and motions that a boat will be along from that direction. When it arrives, they motion me to get on board . It just pulls up along side the dock for a minute and people hop over the side getting off or on. No one gets off here, though. There doesn't look like there is enough room for even one more person.

It looks like it's too crowded and I want to wait for the next one. The women get animated and encourage me to hop on. Apparently, they will all be this crowded they motion. I hop over the side and a few people step back just enough for me to get on. Then the boat speeds away as I hang on to the rope overhead.

This is the transportation many of the locals use to get to work and school, I guess, rather than use the bus or train. I am the only non-thai on board. No one seems to understand english. But, this is what I came to do....see how the locals live.

A person walks the narrow edge of the boat and collects fares. I do not see how she keeps from falling off the narrow ledge as the boat bounces along the canal and she is taking fare money and giving change . I pay 18 baht (60 cents). I will ride until everybody gets off, then look for Pier #13 to catch the next boat.

After 20 or so minutes and several stops, the boat docks and everybody hops off. So do I. But, my directions from the host of the hostel, tell me to go to Pier #13. There are no more piers. I try to ask a few but no english. Where am I and where do I go from here?

I go up to street level, like everyone else getting off the boat does, and walk around looking for another entrance to the canal and more piers. None to be seen, I walk up the street and ask a thai. Again, he doesn't understand what I am saying, so I show him the name of where I need to go. He says 140 baht and motions to a motor bike. Why not? I get on and away we go through the mad, mad, mad Bangkok traffic.

I hang on as he swerves in and out of traffic. Often he is riding us between cars. I have to dodge the car mirrors on each side. At one point, a truck came within a foot of my right arm as we went straight and he decided to turn left. Nothing bothers him as he moves from lane to lane or in-between lanes to get us where I want to go.

After about 35 minutes he stops and motions this is the place. I give him the fare and he speeds away, back into the traffic.

I stand and look and check my map.