Chai Phraya River, Bangkok

We’ve all been in traffic jams before, right? But there are American traffic jams like LA and then there are epic traffic jams like Bangkok.

You can tell going to any densely populated Asian city whether or not they have a robust subway system. If they don’t you are gonna sit in traffic forever. Actually Bangkok has a pretty good elevated train system that was started in 1999. It helps but you can still spend an hour in a cab and go less than a mile.

The train will get you around the city but the most fun (funnest?) way to travel is on the Chai Phraya River. By boat, obviously. And there’s a ton of them, of all shapes and sizes. We stay in a hotel on the river and it’s mesmerizing to sit outside at breakfast and watch the traffic.

There are three types of ferries that you can hop on and off. It’s not clear how much they are and if you buy a ticket on the dock or the boat (it seems random).

But here’s the fun part: the commuter ferry comes ripping in packed with people, slams into the dock, and a guy with the rope flings it around a post and does a loud whistle. You charge on board, elbowing the normally polite locals, and if you are lucky find a seat or else stand in the packed back.

It seems like seconds later, the guy whistles again and the ferry is off like the captain is running in the Preakness. (That’s a horse race for those of you who don’t follow that posh stuff.)