What the Khlong?

Sawadi Kha everyone! 

So I was very excited to sit down and write this blog post because yesterday (Saturday), I rode my very first khlong boat! 

The khlong!

What exactly is a khlong boat, you may ask? For any of you out there who may have been to Bangkok before, I'm sure you will remember a khlong boat. For those of you who haven't, I'll do my best to explain........

First of all, a khlong is the Thai word for canal. The Khlong Saen Saeb is a khlong that runs through central Bangkok, and provides a route of transportation for lots of Thais in the city. Although the khlong seems to be a relatively safe and reliable mode of transportation (and avoids the insane traffic faced by cabs and motorcycles) they do have a major downside- the smell. Now, I had heard plenty about the smell of this canal from those who had gone to Thailand previously, but nothing really prepared me fully for it. 

The best way I can think of to describe the khlong is to tell you to envision a canal that acts as a complete dumping ground for the city. Add lots of garbage, some raw sewage and imagine what the khlong smells like. It didn't smell the entire time we were on the khlong boat, but when we did get whiffs of that smell, it was BAD. I had also heard there were big fish living in the khlong, but I couldn't understand how any form of life could possibly live in that water. That is, until I saw a GIGANTIC lizard/iguana type thing crawl out of the khlong into a sewer pipe.

To avoid being sprayed by this gross (to put it pleasantly) water, the khlong boats are equipped with shield-like tarps on the sides. Whenever you pass another boat, or the water from the khlong is being sprayed up onto the boat, you just pull up the tarp to block it.....oh, and don't forget to close your mouth! :) One of the ways we found helpful to deal with the khlong boat ride was to make it into a little joke. Phrases like, "What the khlong?" and "HOLY KHLONG" because pretty popular pretty fast!

All jokes aside, the khlong boats really are a useful and efficient mode of transportation- much better than cabs, and I'm sure I will be using it a LOT during my stay. 

P.S. I rode on my first Thai motorcycle yesterday, as well. It's cheaper transportation than waiting for an ABAC shuttle and it was amazingly fun, but pretty scary at the same time. Our motorcycle actually bumped a cab on the road- close call. Sorry Mom!!

-Emily