Bangkok and The Floating Market

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Da and I went in a taxi to the floating market outside of Bangkok. Don't ask me why we didn't go to the one in Bangkok. I think the reason was because Da had never been there, but I don't think she had been to the one in Bangkok either. Anyway, Da has a friend from her village that is a taxi driver and they rode with him to Bangkok. Da's village is 6 hours away! They hired this guy to drive them to Bangkok and then around town and then sent him home. He drove us around all day and waited for us in-between stops and only charged $35. or 1050 baht. I filled his tank for $15 so he was happy! Of course, I think he got some of the money we ended up paying at the floating market, because that is how things work. You bring customers and you share in the profits, secretly! But before he left, here is what we did...

First thing in the morning we loaded up into the taxi and I had so many problems that Da took control of the situation and turned her mission into fixing all those problems! She is so good and so patient. I really like her! First, my feet were so torn up, with blisters on top of ALL my toes on the left foot and 3 blisters on the right foot. I had gone through 5 pairs of shoes , throwing each pair away as soon as they made my feet bleed. It was mostly because they would get wet and rub soars and my skin can't heal if it is always wet! (I just did 12 days in the middle of Thailand in different places that all consisted of being near or in water!)

Then, I was feeling like I was coming down with something and had a sore throat so I wanted to buy honey. In case you don't know this honey is a cure all for many things including any bacterial infection you might have. It surrounds your blood cells making a barrier to keep the bacteria out. We did experiments in college and proved it's value!

Da asked the Taxi driver to take us to a Big C. That is a store similar to Walmart , meaning you can buy most things there, but it is set up like a mall with several single little shops inside. We bought band-aides for my feet and then bandaged them up. We got cash from the ATM and then shopped for a good camera. I didn't find the one I wanted to buy, so we passed on that idea and tried to find a smart card for my phone, so I could use it like a camera, without it running out of memory constantly! Ends up you can't buy a smart card there because the service carriers are different and it is not interchangeable. I got a cover for my phone instead. Then I figured out if I got a travel drive and downloaded the pictures at an internet cafe, then I could erase them from the phone! We bought one and something to drink, then went back to the cab. The driver waited for us the entire time, outside, in the 101 degree heat!

We drove for 1 hour or 1 1/2 hours to a village (name in one of the pictures), and did the floating market. When we arrived at the floating market the guy behind the desk said it would be $90 each! Now, this is just absurd! Everything in Thailand is inexpensive! Of course, if your a tourist they triple the price, but even then it is inexpensive compared to the prices in America. I should have refused to pay that but did not want to embarrass Da or make her uncomfortable. So we paid and got on the boat. The price included a stop at the Buddhist Temple that was there and a monkey show. As we got on the boat I told Da that I was sure there was a way to do this free! Sure enough, we were floating by these stores when I saw people walking into the market free! Of course they are walking and not riding in the boats. The boat ride was totally overrated anyway! They pull up to a shop and you sit there a minute while they beg you to buy something! Then on to the next one. Each merchant had mostly the same products, like in Mexico. I never could understand that logic! Why all sell the same things? Would it not be wiser to offer variations of products? But here again, the lack of critical thinking and lack of common sense plays a part. Another example of that would be the boats... They are driving you around in long tail boats in narrow canals with hairpin turns! The propeller barely makes it around the corners. You gotta wonder why they just don't shorten the propeller? That is the Thai way though! It works like that and that is the way they bought the boats so why change it to make it better? Then, I dropped my sunglasses off the top of my head into the river which did not make me happy.

After the market they took us by the Buddhist Temple. We got out and did some ritual things ( I got instruction from Da on what to do.) We took some foil and stuck it onto a Budhah statue. We bought a flower from a Monk in the temple, then lit a candle and offered the flower back to the Temple. Did a little prayer, then passed a dog with eyebrows, on the way out! (Someone drew them on!)

Next they took us to the monkey show. There was a baby elephant chained to the center of the place and 2 people collecting tickets at the door. The elephant was swaying back and forth which means he is unhappy and hates being chained there, probably missing his mother and his herd. I don't like this!

Then one of the ticket collectors had a monkey in his arms. I looked down at the monkey, thinking how cute he was and saw this man with the monkeys penis in his hand. He was stroking it and it was erect! I looked at him with disgust and ask him what he was doing! He looked away embarrassed and laughed, then walked away quickly.

We entered into a tent and could see 2 other small monkeys dressed up in dresses and lipstick while the male was dressed in male clothes. The females were pulling at their leashes that were tied to the poles. The penis rubbing man and a lady were on the stage to do the show. The lady handled the female monkeys and the man had the male monkey. They did a series of tricks but not real happily! The male lashed out a few times trying to scratch the man that was trying to get him to play the guitar. Then at one point the girl monkey escaped and she ran straight to the male and they both threw their arms around each other and hugged. I knew right then that these people are keeping those moneys in separate cages when they are off stage and not together. Monkeys are very social and need to be together. These animals were not behaving from love or bribes with food! No food involved! They were doing everything out of fear and looking rather bored doing it. I wish I had not contributed to these people and their careers. I had Da go up and ask them about the separate cages and they said they are in together. I know they are lying.

I fed bananas to the baby elephant before I left. They were $1 a bundle and I figured I had already contributed to keeping this going anyway, I might as well do something good and feed the baby. It may be all it gets to eat all day.

We left that place, drove past the walk in entrance to the floating market and I had to wonder if the cab driver got a cut of that money we paid. Something tells me he did. That is the way it works here ...they all overprice things to tourists and share the profits.

On the way to the market, we passed fields with salt processing, all along the way. It was interesting to see how they get salt! There were numerous stands selling bags of salt as well. The taxi driver said he wanted to get some before he headed home, so on the way back we stopped. The bags they were selling were huge! There was enough in one bag to keep a large family supplied for 10 years! Those were the smallest amounts you could buy and they were only $7. Of course everything is in baht (their currency) but to keep the confusion down I am telling you the amounts in dollars. The taxi driver bought a bag and I was tempted to get one too but could not justify taking it around with me until I left for America. I know that the processed salt that we get in America is very bad and cuts into your body like shards of glass! This is not processed the same and would be more like sea salt and all natural.

After we explored the salt fields we drove past a swap meet! Not a market, because their is a difference! The market places are full of food and brand new goods, the swap meet is used items! I was thrilled because I am a swap meet nut in the USA. We stopped and shopped around but I didn't find anything to buy. On the way out we passed cages with little dogs for sale. This is the first little dogs I have seen since leaving the US. All the strays have been medium to large dogs. They had no water and it is so hot! I asked Da to tell them to give them water. After we left it occurred to me the reason why there was no water...it is because water is so hard to get and it would mean buying bottles of it and they probably didn't have money to do that. So sad!

We drove back to the hotel and John was sitting out front waiting for us. There was an internet cafe right there so I downloaded the pictures and erased the ones on the phone. Then we started walking, to find a place to eat dinner, and realized the Sunday market was going on. We had gone to the market yesterday when we arrived in Bangkok, but this market was much better and the prices were much cheaper, so we shopped.

Then we found a nice restaurant called Check Inn 99, that was cabaret style. There was an all girl house band who had been playing there for years. The waiter stopped me from taking pictures of the girls when they were onstage and I asked him why? Did they not want free publicity for the restaurant? I told him that was a foolish marketing decision. He went and got the owner of the bar who is from Australia and is named Chris. The owner explained that people have done things with the pictures they take of the girls, that were not flattering. The girls prefer to not be photographed when they are not posing for the picture. I get that! Anyway, he sat at our table and chatted with us for quit a while. Very nice guy and interesting story behind the bar and his obtaining it. The food was very good and as close to American as I have had in a while! We were walking by the place and a guy in the doorway , with an Australian accent told us it was very good and that we should come in. He was still standing there when we left and I asked if he was related to Chris but he said he was not.

Went back to the Atlas (hotel/hostel we are staying at) and went to bed. Very tired!

Before I went to sleep I got messages on my phone from Sagar. He claims he loves me! Well, that is two young ones I could have gotten my grove back with! Problem is I am old enough to know better!

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