Today we had a 7:00 AM departure and breakfast opened at 6:30 so a bit of an early wake up but we aren’t completely used to new time zone yet so we didn’t mind. Breakfast was an elaborate buffet spread around a large room and represented food from cultures all around the world. I had some traditional American breakfast mixed with some Thai dishes which were delicious . It did seem odd to have Pineapple fried rice with breakfast but quite tasty. Conrad likes to eat earlier than just before we head out on the bus. Last night when he asked at the desk about earlier breakfast options, they offered a box breakfast that he could pick up early. It was also robust with yogurt, fruit, a sandwich and pastry.
After breakfast we met our group in the lobby of the hotel and headed out on a bus towards one of the famous Thai floating markets. It was about a 90 minute drive where we passed urban ssctions and increasingly rural areas of disparate. We passed huge salt farms where farmers dump sea water into large shallow divided “fields” and let them dry in the sun so that the salt is left behind.
A very large percentage of the population here is Buddhist and there are many many Buddhist temples everywhere. Some massive multi-building complexes and some just tiny home built areas.
We stopped once along the way to have a rest stop at a local coconut farm. We saw how they harvested and processed young coconuts for coconut water and other products like wine and ice cream.
As we got nearer to the province where the floating market was, canals started appearing as a method of transiting between areas. We were dropped at a small stand where the family split our group into small motorized boats and we went the last 30 minutes by market in small low boats calledLong-tail Boats (Rua Hang Yao):These boats are iconic for their long driveshaft extending from the stern, allowing the propeller to operate in shallow water and navigate narrow channels by being able to move around. They often use repurposed automobile engines, such as those from trucks or cars, providing high power for their size.
We transited a maze of canals passing homes and small temples ranging from wooden huts to fairly large intricate new homes, all built on stilts above the water. Many homes had large urns outside for catching and storing water.
We arrived at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market by boat and stepped off to the cement platform that sits beside the canals and makes up the market.
We had some time on our own to see the market before meeting up with the group again to enjoy some fresh fruit and other Thai delicacies at a nearby restaurant before heading back to Bankok by bus.
Once back at the hotel we had time on our own. Conrad really wanted to visit a nearby temple that housed the famous “reclining Buddha” so we quickly changes into clothes that covered our knees and shoulders (required to enter the temple) and headed out. With some direction and a map from the hotel concierge we were able to navigate the nearby commuter boats along the river to get to the temple. Known also as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, its official name is Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan, more commonly known as Wat Pho.
The temple is considered the earliest centre for public education in Thailand, and the illustrations and inscriptions placed in the temple for public instructions has been recognized byUNESCOin itsMemory of the World Program. It houses a school of Thai medicine, and is also known as the birthplace of traditionalThai massagewhich is still taught and practiced at the temple.
We bought tickets, removed our shoes and entered the temple
After returning back to the hotel by commuter boats we had a bit of time to dress for our dinner cruise. The cruise left right from the hotel dock and sailed past the Bankok water front all lit up at night. There was a very nice buffet dinner with loads of salads, fresh seafood, and various south East Asian dishes followed by a buffet of small desserts that allowed you to sample many different things. The food was plentiful and tasty but the star of the cruise was the scenery.
By the time we finished the cruise on this very hot and humid day we were ready to get some sleep and start again tomorrow.