There's no time like the present . . .

Here are shots I took on Friday during a several hour bike tour around Bangkok (and across the river). Our guide was absolutely adorable! She bubbled over with laughter, stories, and a general joie de vivre.

You can read all about this tour company here: www.realasia.net; we took the afternoon tour.

Last minute instructions . . . stay close!

Two guides worked together to create a break in traffic.

And we were off!

Our leader was fearless!

We stopped in little Chinatown.

These protect a home from bad forces.

Only one person at a time! she told us again and again.

Perhaps you can see why?

The bridge crosses a canal.

Next!

Looks good and sturdy, doesn’t it?

Next!

The neighborhood.

At the other side.

Previous support beams?

A shrine just off the canal.

And indoor market . . .

that kept going and going . . .

There’s a mini-city under the highways!

Mangosteen breaktime.

Yum!

This was a many laned thoroughfare!

He went first to stop the flow of traffic.

See?

And into another neighborhood we go. I couldn’t take pictures then; it was too narrow and we kept moving!

Then it was time to cross the river.

You can find this on the map if you want.

A personal ferry.

Ready.

Set.

Bikes.

Go!

This man loves his job!

The propellor’s at the end of that very long rod.

Crossing to the other side.

The buildings are so fascinating.

Don’t you think?

We were then in the peninsula where buildings aren’t higher than 3 stories. This raised sidewalk took us past banana plantations, swamp land, houses, you name it!

We stopped at a wat or temple to view the family shrines (which house the cremated remains).

We rode in this thick jungle area just across from Bangkok for over an hour, and then in 45-minutes or so we were back in the midst of the concrete jungle.