We stopped off in Bangkok for a weekend of sightseeing {after our holiday in Laos} before heading back to Mumbai. I loved it - I'd go back for another weekend {with a few days added on either side of the weekend as there's quite a bit to see and do!}
We left our hotel shortly after 7:30am as we had an hour or thereabouts before we reached the first floating market we were visiting that day {Saturday, 22nd Aug} Tha Kha Floating Market. Floating markets were defiantly on the 'must-see' list! Sadly, some of the floating markets within an hour or so drive of Bangkok have become very touristy as we were to find out a little later on {more on that in a bit}
Tha Kha Floating Market is small and 'local'. Hardly any tourists around which we loved - but tno so many long-tailed boats which we thought we'd see - laden with fruit and vegetables {like photos you see in travel magazines etc}! Never-the-less, we loved watching the ladies selling their wares to the locals that appeared to come to this market to buy their fresh produce. It was here I bought a kilo of sugar made from the sap of coconut trees. The sap is collected from the trees and simmered for hours before being poured into baking trays or small muffin tins {that's what it looked like} to cool and set. I make quite a lot of Thai curries and I'm slowly using up this delicious sugar {it looks like & tastes a little like South African fudge!} I think I'm about half-way through the kilo I bought. {sorry, me being the muppet I sometimes am, I didn't take any photos of the sugar I bought nor of the lady pouring the hot liquid into trays to cool & it would be wrong if I took a photo of the sugar now and posted it} Aah, you see, I am a muppet! I so did take a photo! I'm currently uploading photos and there is one of the sugar…not a close-up…nor from the stall where I bought it….but there's one never-the-less! it's the 11th photo down…on a boat in clear plastic packets!
 |
| lots of orchids for sale as you walk towards the canal through a market {fruit; veg & orchids} |
 |
| this photo and the following six are of the same lovely lady; she was the most 'active' on the canal and I took loads of photos of her…I couldn't decide between these seven photos….so they are here to stay! |
 |
| look at her hands….especially the left one {on the right hand side of the photo} years of hard work…. |
 |
| and a close-up her wonderfully lined face |
 |
| contemplative……her life doesn't look easy! |
 |
| no idea what's cooking for breakfast, but it did smell really good! |
 |
| sugar made from simmering coconut sap {sold in clear bags - boat on right} |
 |
| edamame beans {fresh green soya beans} |
 |
| guessing that's this is how you transport newly purchased orchids {well, if you have a vehicle and large plastic containers that is} |
We then headed off to the very busy and very touristy Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Complete contrast to Tha Kha Market {the one we'd just been to} It was incredibly busy to say the least! There are 'traffic' jams - we get stuck in one!! It's almost like a bun fight trying to get out of it…the one who is the strongest {as in good with the oar} will be able to paddle and push your way through the chaos …our guide hired a lady and her long tail boat and she really struggled….not easy when you have men half your age pushing their way through…no waiting your turn…it really is a free for all on the main canal at Damnoen Saduak! There are long tail boats selling fruit & veg {mainly ladies trying to earn a honest days' work} and there were hats stacked up on boats and the stalls alongside the canals sold clothing, umbrellas, art, ornaments, fans {hand held ones ladies tend to use} and more tat! I wouldn't go back….there seems to be very little left in terms of authenticity! A real pity…but guessing the locals have learnt {sometime back I'm guessing} it's the tourists who bring the money so they have adapted! Sadly so…..
On a positive note….the most YUMMIEST sticky rice and fresh mango sprinkled with sesame seeds was purchased by moi and eaten by moi! Sharing wasn't going to happen {yes, sadly so…}
 |
| crazy busy before we got to the canal! |
 |
| a 'quiet' section of the market |
 |
chaos is about to happen….
{sorry about the black tarpaulin} |
 |
| these long tail boats are going in one direction….but a little further on you'll get a number of boats coming in the opposite direction…and the boldest, strongest, biggest just push their way though! |
 |
| clothing for sale on land and fruit on the water {dark purply fruit are mangosteens and probably one of our favourite! OH MY GOODNESS! if you EVER come across a fruit looking like this buy it {make sure it's a mangosteen first} and eat it…YUMMINESS! ps, be prepared to pay quite a bit as my guess you'll be buying it at your local fruit & veg shop {unless you are in Asia somewhere!} |
 |
| Charlotte having a go with the oar/paddle |
 |
| delicious fresh mango with sweet coconut milk {there maybe rice underneath the mango but I don't think so} |
 |
| ladies nattering |
 |
| I decide to add this to the selection….it looks like we were whizzing past but nope - I did something with my camera…think I must have moved it as I took the photo |
 |
| bananas and rose apples |
 |
| same ladies nattering - just a different angle |
 |
| fresh fruit juice sold here! |
 |
| a small water monitor |
 |
| Barack's twin {maybe} |
 |
| he so could be related to Mr O! |
 |
| rambutan, logan & star fruit |
 |
| rambutan & logan fruit |
 |
| close up of a water monitor {larger than the other one} |
 |
| I thought she was delightful! |
 |
| so you could pay to hold this snake…. |
 |
| and this one….the more tourists pay for 'attractions' like this…the demand for snakes increases….all for the tourist industry…man kind and his/her needs/greed/wants/demands are depleting what we were meant to 'take-care' of! {I am guilty of contributing to this type of industry & I am not proud of it…I paid a snake charmer to watch his snake 'dance' in Jaipur} |
 |
| thai hats |
We left the chaos of Damnoen Saduak for another market {where we were to have lunch} but not before stopping at a tiny little temple called Wat Bang Kung. This temple is from the Ayutthaya Period {1350 to 1767} It was forgotten for 200 years and when 'found' again, it was restored in 1967 however, the whole building remains covered by the mighty roots of a banyan tree that grows above it! Inside the temple there are a numb roy murals and an impressive Buddha image. We spent about 20 minutes here before moving on…lunch was calling!
 |
| roots of the banyan tree |
 |
| Buddha inside |
 |
| Buddha outside |
 |
| shoes off before you head inside almost any temple |
Amphawa Market was fab - if only just for the food! Well, also lovely little stalls selling bits and pieces and well as food. There were boats on the canal but we were 'caught-up' in what else was on offer at Amphawa Market and we weren't disappointed!
the following two photos are of 'kitchens' for 'restaurants'; we sat at one of the wooden tables you can see in the second photo and had lunch which was cooked on one of the long tail boats! I had a very very yummy pad thai! Gosh it was good….I know I say this a lot, but I'd go back there just for the pad thai!! seriously I would!
 |
| we sat at one of the wooden tables and had a very yummy lunch! |
 |
| the most excellent pad thai! |
 |
| um, so there was this girl, I mean guy, um, actually I don't know…..anyway, she/he happily posed for a photo! |
 |
| some fantastic little shops along the canal…. |
So, to get to the canal one has to walk past these amazing food stations….too hungry on the way to the canal where we were to each lunch to stop and take photos….but I managed to take quite a few afterwards on the way back to the car!
 |
| a pomolo, Andrew's favourite fruit! it is quite delicious…somewhere between an orange and a grapefruit; really, really good! |
So, not all the food is amazing…well, in my opinion that is…I don't care much for dried fish and there was a lot of it but well outside away from the other food stalls selling yummy, freshly cooked food!
 |
| so standing near us with her shopping cart {just seen int he left of the photo} is this lady and I was trying to take a photo without her seeing me do so…Andrew asked if he can take her photo, she smiles and nods her head and then smiled {I asked her if I could take a photo too and she nodded; I did take two through, not just one} I love taking photos of people with 'life' etched into their faces! |
 |
| smiling so sweetly for her photo |
We left the floating markets for the city where we wondered around Asiatique The Riverfront.
Asiatique The Riverfront is an expansive open-air theme mall with panoramic river views {not from inside the mall, you have to head to the river} and a delightful fusion of shopping, dining, culture and colonial-style architecture which is on the Chao Phraya River. We had dinner here and I cannot remember what I ate…think it was a Thai Green Curry! We then took a river boat after dinner back to the metro stop - we needed the metro to get back to the hotel. We did however stop off at MBK, one of the largest shopping malls I have been to! {thanks for the tip Mike} It has everything! Andrew was looking at lenses for his camera {nope, he didn't buy one} and I was looking for a mobile phone case of all things! Yes, I did find one, it's a fabulous orange colour in leather & I love it!! We were tired and it was hot and we didn't stay long…never the less, it was a great experience wondering around for a few hours!
 |
| some of Asiatique The Riverfront {shopping mall} |
 |
| this was one very cool kitchen gadgety shop! |
 |
| some of the inside of the mall |
 |
| waiting for the boat with some of Bangkok's skyline |
a few photos taken from the boat at dusk
 |
| on the boat |
 |
a bit of a wonky panoramic!
inside BMK, the super large shopping mall….umbrellas as wall art and the escalators {why I ask myself? don't know - they happened to be photographed!}
|
