Tambon Salaya, Thailand

Today our guide is taking us to an authentic floating market quite far away. Part of our group decided to visit the museums in Bangkok . We board some kind of a long boat and we are led through the narrow canals passing by homes, temples, water Lilly fields and finally arriving at the most world famous floating market. The sad part is that there is a lot of trash floating around everywhere. It seems to just sit there until the next storm carries it to a different location. This floating market is quite different in that all food and flowers are sold out of small boats. They even cook on these boats. It’s quite different than anything I’ve seen! Its really colorful. We could also hold a Loris monkey they’re so cute, they look like little people. A lot of people try to smuggle them in the country- I can see why. We could also hold a giant snake- they say it brings luck. For me Not today! I could have stayed there hours just watching all the hustle and bustle, but oh no! We had to go see the largest pagoda in Thailand. The interesting happening is that there were at least 10 simultaneous classes teaching Buddhism to the young monks . Then we had another delicious brunch on a small pond. We were to attend Thai village show which we all vetoed so we could see an art gallery in Bangkok, but the traffic was so bad, that we missed the closing. It would be incredibly frustrating to live in this city. I think it’s worst than Los Angeles. We went back to the hotel, rested a bit. Malinda and I joined her friend Bill in the hotel lobby for a cocktail. He is very well traveled and was to show us the city by night like a local. After our cocktail, we took the river ferry which is right behind our hotel. A few stops later, we disembark and walk . We get some street food from a cart. Fortunately it was cooked well! But instead of the beef skewers we asked for, they gave us liver skewers ; it was so awful, I couldn’t get rid of the taste . Then we took the sky train, which only travels in certain parts of the city. We were the only Caucasian on the train. After many many stops and transfers; we ended up downtown somewhere. We shopped and bought a few things at the very long night market, which is on the sidewalk . Then we ended up in the red light district, interesting and sad at the same time to see these old men with these scantily dressed young girls . We had dinner in that area at an English pub. It wasn’t bad . We waked and entered some of the clubs. After entering the last one where tons of girls were naked on the stage, we left by cab back to our hotel. It was an interesting day to say the least.