Another Day in Bangkok

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Hello there again everyone.

Im still feeling quite awful from all the cough mixure I have been taking.

No wonder people get high on these, its pretty potent stuff!

I try to stay awake but inevitably I doze off in the middle of the afternoon.

And I feel like a total slob for not going yoga but I reckon I have to get totally well before I go get my ass busted in a 40 Degree Celsius room.

Here's part two of my recent Bangkok!

Ahhh.. great memories once again :)

Yes Im camwhoring in the taxi that we booked to bring us to the outskirts of Bangkok.

About an hour's drive from the hotel.

We booked the taxi with help from the hotel and we paid about 2500baht (S$102) for half a day.

You know its slightly more kampong when you dun see tall buildings and there is pretty much no jam..

as compared to the horrendous traffice in the city!

Still flooded!

But people going about their daily chores like its nothing.

We woke up really early to go to the Mae Klong Railway Market!

Here's an auntie setting up her wares for the day.

The Mae Klong Railway is located at Samut Songkhram, Central Thailand

This is a unique market that is held every day literally on the rail tracks.

Just before the train arrives in the town, the market stallholders have to pull back their awnings and remove their produce from the tracks.

They then have to repeat all of this when the train returns.

Fortunately it is not a busy track. The train leaves four times and it arrives four times.

The track is not part of the national network. It only runs between Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkram.

A typical kopitiam.

Im actually standing on the railway track!

Can u see?

It was a Sunday and the market was busy, busy busy!

We bought some dried prawns home! Great for cooking soup.

This market is actually one of the seven wonders of Thailand!

The vendors have their stores right beside the railway ...

And if a train comes by, they simply move everything to the side and let it pass!

Amazing!

Stare of death, LOL.

It was an eye-opener seeing how vendors operate in such conditions and if u have ever been to a local wet market with your mother ...

This is about 10x dirtier.

We got alittle hungry from all the walking so we stopped by a small shop for a bowl of noodles.

Vendors by the roadside.

Right after Mae Klong Railway Market, our taxi driver drove us to book a boat to the famous Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Samut Sangkhram Ratchaburi province.

We paid about 2400baht, S$100 (which I feel is exorbitantly overpriced!) for a personal boatride and it includes the Elephant ride and Monkey show.

(We skipped the Monkey show coz I cant get over the stupid monkey stealing my sunglasses in Bali! Hahahaha!)

Well on the tourist trail after the Bond films, the trip to the famous floating market at Damnoen Saduak is still worth doing.

Totally chaotic, small 'klongs' or canals are filled with small flat boats jockeying for position, expertly paddled by mature ladies ready to stop and bargain at a moment's notice.

It's colourful, noisy, totally touristy but great fun.

Its exactly like a market .. except u're in a boat!

Stopped by the Coconut Sugar Farm.

They make lotsa things out of coconuts!

Decorative items, sweets and even lamps.

Back exploring the Floating Market.

We also passed by many Thai houses and it was pretty amazing seeing how the womenfolk did their household chores by the river.

They simply washed their clothes in the water!

And the same water to wash their food!

Stopped by a temple.

So I took the opportunity to get some Thai Iced Tea!

My favourite drink!

We dropped some coins for a little beggar girl and she gamely posed for Jungle Boy.

Random ah pek doing the laundry!

I bought Mango with Sticky Rice!

Only 50baht here! Cost twice as much in Bangkok City ok!

It was CROWDED!

I love the colours!

This picture is totally out-of-this-world!

We were passing by this house with acouple of kids playing in the water and upon seeing Jungle Boy's camera, they actually climbed up and jumped into the water in unison!