Continuing our journey through great cities with rivers running through them.
Bangkok on the Chao Phraya
The city with the most flights in and out of Asia is said to be too much hustle and bustle for many adventurers, who do not even give Thailand’s capital a chance. instead heading straight for Thai beaches to the south, or perhaps to cooler temperatures in the north, but Bangkok is clearly a city that never sleeps and worth a visit. Insatiable for life best describes Bangkok.
Bangkok has perhaps the worst the traffic in the world. Beyond the smog and pollution lies a vibrant, sprawled, out” mother of the city.” But the Thai’s take it all in and remain tranquil giving you a Thai smile at every turn. Give Bangkok a try. Let Thailand’s capital suck you in. This concrete jungle filled with girly bars and even lady boys dressed as stylish women.
Eating strange foods off of side street vendors, is a part of the local charm. Shopping bargains abound. High end Persian rugs around the Oriental Hotel to shopping at Asia’s largest flea market, Chatuchak. Bangkok until recently boosted the world’s largest restaurant.
The rhythm of Bangkok exists along the Chao Phraya. The famous Oriental Hotel and the Presidential Palace are also along the banks of the Chao Phraya. The King’s Palace are to be found, mega shopping malls vie for your time along with girly bars. On the banks of the river, rickety old wooden houses on stilts can be seen opposed to brand new houses and condos.
As they say, “One Night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble.”
Luang Prabang, Life runs up and down the Mekong, in Laos’ old colonial capital
Luang Prabang, use to be a sleepy dirt road of a town, although the old capital of Laos. It was only known by hard core travelers, Times have changed. “Monk Central” Hundreds Of Monks , line the streets and many temples of Another word to describe Luang Prabang is fragrant . Frangipani tress are everywhere.
The combination of French provincial architecture in a Buddhist Asian charm make for an intoxicating city for the traveler. I fell in love right away.
Time stands still even years into the new millennium of “trip ramblers” who have put this city on the Mekong very much on the map. Nature, a great waterfall, and of course the mighty Mekong make Luang Prabang a must visit on your Asian sojourn. Rent bicycles or motorcycles to get around.
Manhattan from the Hudson River
New York, New York, city of dreams. So cool that they had to name it twice. The city of all cities New York is broken down into five boroughs.
The largest land mass, and in the heart of the action is the island of Manhatten. From the vibrant Upper West Side to the bohemian Lower East Side. Vibrant neighborhoods , packed with energy and nightlife are abound. Greenwich Village, Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy, Tribeca, Alphabet City, Chelsea, Harlem.
Ride the subways and meet the locals who march to their own beat. Shop for cool knock off brand names , and many tacky ones on Canal Street. I prefer to rent a bike when I’m in New York.
The “Big Apple” as it is known has two river running through it or on each side of Manhattan on the West Side runs the Hudson River, on the East Side of Manhattan the Hudson River and the East River which provide means of transportation to New Jersey, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens. Take kayak lessons and sail on the Hudson. On the East Side, residents can see Brooklyn right out their window. You can walk or bike across the Williamsburg Bridge. Every imaginative cuisine on the planet is easily accessible at all hours of the night, the theatre and lights of Time Square Perhaps the most storied inter city park of any major city, Central Park, flanked by Central Park West and East where historic coops line both sides of the Park. John Lennon lived and ultimately lost his life in this neighborhood. The famed ‘Dakota’ is still their today. don’t forget to visit, the American Museum of Natural History. the Guggenheim, Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center. Tribeca is bursting with new restaurants and bars.
Big Ben and The London Eye across the Thames
My love for London on the River Thames runs deep. London is the first city that I visited outside of Athens and the U.S. Mayfair, Bond Street, Picadilly, Trafalgar Square, Convent Garden, Canary Wharf, Leister Square, Soho, Sloane Square, Camden Yards, Kensington, Holborn, Hyde Park, High tea at the Ritz. See the changing of the guard. Walk along the Thames. I can go on forever. Is there a city more defined by the river that runs through it?
Hop on and off the Tube. Take a boat ride on the Thames. Jump on a double decker bus for a quick overview of this marvelous city on the Thames. Dine and club in Soho and find good eats in Chinatown. Shop at Harrods. London is the “Grand Dame” of the Victorian era, when London was the center of the universe. Old meets new in London today. Victorian pubs meet fine dining. Eat fish and chips and wash it down with a frothy pint of your favorite ale.
Notre Dame at night on the river Seine
Whether you’re a Francophile or not, one can hardly argue that Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, although the Italians may beg to differ. Paris, the city build on the Seine has preserved its historic architecture.
Paris may well have more notable world landmarks than any city in the world, the Eiffel Tower and the Gothic, Notre Dame in one city. The ‘city of light’ where the Mona Lisa lives, in the Louvre, the world’s most famous museum. See the young, hip, and the restless around the Bastile. Take a boat ride on the Seine, or take a party boat at night. Stroll the chic Champs Elysees, end or begin at the Arc de Triomphe, climb the hills of Marmonte, check out the sculptures in Jardin des Tuileries.
Paris is fashion in Marais, weekend flea markets in Saint Ouen’s, and outdoor cafes along the Seine, and on the Left Bank. See the famous Cancan dancers at the Moulin Rouge, take in an Opera. Only is Paris in Pierre La Chaise cemetery the American poet and rock star, Jim Morrisson is buried and Doors fans party at his grave. Paris is like a drug, Many Americans want to say “au revoir” to the French, but I find a new neighborhood, a new boulangerie, charming locales, remote bed and breakfasts, and I’m hooked. Paris is intoxicating. Hang out in pubs where impressionist painters once drank. Like all great cities, put on your walking shoes, but perhaps more than any other city, you will get lost, find a new arrondissement, new avenues and cool side streets. Paris may just be the best walking city on the planet. Winter , spring , summer or fall, Paris is as romantic on a drizzly day in February or a sunny day in August. Get lost stay open minded, embrace the French, embrace Paris. Be sure to see the Eifel tower lit up at night. Now you can’t disagree with me and Ernest Hemingway. But why I am convincing you to cherish Paris?
By Nick Kontis
World Travel List
