The Saen Saeb Canal was one of our great accidental discoveries of last year. Back then we rode the Golden Mount Line, between Pratunam and Phan Fa Lilat. This year, over the space of a couple of days, we've ridden all and walked some of the NIDA Line, from Pratunam eastwards to Wat Sriboonreung. The fare for this complete leg is 19 baht.

These are busy little boats. As with all the public transport we've encountered in Bangkok this time round, there's standing room only once you're a couple of stops out from the start.

I don't at all covet the job of a canal boat conductor. For safety's sake (some of the bridges are LOW), they wear crash helmets, but you've still got to be vigilant... It's highly physical work, jumping on and off to rope and unrope the boat during stops. They're out in all weathers. And once the boat has filled up, they have to collect the fares from the narrow ledge that runs round the outside. Not for the faint-hearted, especially as the boats buck and bounce when they hit the short, high chop of a disturbed klong...

The perspective from the canal is a really interesting one, however. Pretty much all Bangkok's residential options are represented along its banks, it seems, from the simplest, tiniest house, through the gated, gardened villa, to the glitzy condo. There is also some beautiful (if completely unphotographable) birdlife.

And there's all sorts of other interesting stuff, as you can see: