Damnoen Saduak - The Floating Market

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I am always excited when I get to go to the Floating Market in Ratchaburi Province (2nd trip). When I stepped on the boat crossing from the modern city to the backwaters of the villages, it gave me a sense of old and new in just couple of minutes snaking the old canals in a speed boat was quite a thrill, joy to my eyes. It never gave me a boring day.

I get to witnessed people washing pots and pans, man sitting on the bridge trying his luck to catch some fishes for his meal, floating houses of old (very old) and new houses. Some houses are beyond repair, I can see that they have made some counter measures to hold the wooden house from collapsing into the river. Bustling boats, big engines and smaller ones, carried goods to the market and tourists busy looking out curiously for something out of the ordinary that the floating village can offer. They waved at me when I took their pictures. Friendly Thais.

Entering into the Floating Market, there are so many stalls parked by the river banks, souvenirs, colorful fans and farmers hats, saffron, fruits like guavas, rambutans, mangosteens, bananas, water apples and sometimes durians. Food vendors served from the boats. My favorite is the "Kuey Teow" in soya sauce, with shredded roast duck or chicken, never beef, sugar, chili powder, pounded peanuts, mint leaves and a few dash of fish sauce made my day very happy. If you have sweet tooth, try the sweet pancakes. As I cruise further I found a stall with all kinds of spices that I should say he has the complete range of spices in hand. On the platform, there in a corner, the making of palm sugar was certainly a treat for many of us. The Thais loved everything sweet, having a sample to try, it sure taste good.

An hour before noon, the Floating Market is congested with boats, both tourist boats and vendors crowded the river, voices getting louder as the crowd filled in the market, making way avoiding collision, shouting their lungs out for business when passes each other, it is like an old movie of yester years and the sun shines on them making the whole market alive and more colorful.

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