Bangkok day 1

We flew into Bangkok late, and by 1.30 in the morning and not yet asleep I was questioning the 9am tour of the city scheduled in the morning. But it was booked so we got our arses out of bed (a fair description of us at the time) but redeemed by breakfast - tropical fruits, coffee, eggs and a slice of glazed ham. Our guide Arty arrived, outstandingly cheerful and keen to get going. We drove 30 kms across town, achieving no obvious change in scenery, then arriving in the Royal District which included the Grand Palace which houses the 'Emerald Buddha'. We were staggered at the place it is frothing with ornate, extravagant buildings, gold plated or ceramic tiled, courtyards with old bonsai trees, various shrines and pulsating with people. They included many visitors but also many Thai nationals visiting it as a place of pilgrimage. The heat was horrendous, survivable under cover but not in the sun, so we bought Shanti an umbrella and I put on a grubby hat I carry with me and we walked on to a berthing area beside a nearby canal, and boarded a motorized longboat. Beautiful craft, long and made of hardwood with a canvass canopy. But most surprisingly - powered by an exposed car engine that drove a long straight shaft with propellor at the end. The boat drivers could lift the prop out of the water and shift it's position like a long oar. They took pride in various theatrics such as steering with their feet, and the guide made several mentions of the James Bond movie that includes a boat chase on these canals, with these vessels. Further indications of that were the drivers waiting for a clear spot to gun the engine which roared and belched smoke. Competition to get ahead of others was also evident so it's not quite a serenade in Venice, despite them also making that comparison.
We boated for nearly an hour, through the rabbit warren canals of the Bangkok flatlands, otherwise packed and teeming with residences and people. It was great fun hurtling along on the water but the sight of people fishing in these filthy canals with teetering wooden buildings lining them the whole way also also kinda gross. We saw various strange sights including a man feeding fish off his balcony. A very large water monitor was also down in the water trying to clamber up the steep bank and beat the fish to it.
By the time we were taxied back to the hotel the eyes were popping and brain in overload, so we went out for lunch and some shopping for a few items, which was not as restful as expected. Not sure what to do tonight - BK is out there pumping but we are still resting up a bit, plus I've seen 'The Hangover' and am not sure how many blocks of this place we could navigate and still get back!