Dia Tres

March 6, 2010

It was not as easy to get up today after a late bedtime and a few Changs. However, we pushed through and got downstairs before seven for our tour to the floating market.

An hour and a half drive from Bangkok, the floating market is located in a series of canals where boats come to trade goods (now mostly cheap souvenirs). We took a little paddleboat out to see the vendors and got a little tour of the surrounding canals where people still live, using the water as their roads. Thailand has been labeled the Venice of the East, and it was really something to get a glimpse of how the city used to function before the automobile.

The market itself has definitely changed since back in the day, acting mostly a tourist attraction. This I didn't mind, looking past the goods being sold and enjoying the novelty of the place. I was however a bit upset by the amount of motorized longtail boats in the tiny canals. The market is crowded by nature, but these boats spewed tons of exhaust, made lots of noise, and bullied around the smaller paddle boats, almost ruining the amb ambiance of what probably used to be a very mellow paced place.

We still enjoyed being able to see the market, and our drive home was entertaining. Our driver "Max Mafia" was a silly and endearing Thai man, and we met a great older English couple from New Zealand who were on the second week of a five month tour. They explained to me that their children traveled after University and they were doing it now. It would be amazing to be fortunate enough to move faraway and travel like that after retirement.

After the market we had a much needed rest time and then set off for the Night Bizar in the early evening. We walked to the river stopping to chat with a really cool clothing vendor on the way who made some really cool t-shirts. Then we hopped on a boat bus, not sure if thats the name but its basically public transportation along the river for the whopping price of 13 bhat per person. This was great adventure, Emma almost fell in while boarding, and we got to see the riverside with the cool evening breeze, very refreshing.

After getting off the boat successfully, we tried to trek up to the night bizarre, walking along the river through some fancy hotels, what seemed to be a school performance filled with excited little girls, and a humongous mall. We failed in estimating the actual distance to the market and picked up a cab the rest of the way.

After getting to the market we were a bit disappointed by the vibe and the products of the stalls. Everything seemed to be the same over priced products sold by the vendors back at Khoa San. I set off to find some shorts and quickly realized that all the same cheap clothes were being sold for different prices, so it was time to get my haggle on. Everything without a price fixed to it can be bartered for here and I've come to realize that most sellers start at similar high prices to try and trap you into a high price. My strategy thus far (when buying an item available at many vendors such as my shorts) has been to counteroffer a ridiculously low price which often times insults the vendor and they begin to ignore me. I go to different vendors slowly picking my offered price, and when they kick into bargaining mode I know I'm in the right price range. I don't know if this works as I paid 240 bhat (about $6-7) for a pair of shorts that have already began to tear at the pocket. Live and learn.

We ate dinner at this enormous food court/beer garden where we got some decent foods with our prepaid coupons, and were entertained by the Thai pop cover band playing on the massively oversized stage.

Then comes the most exciting part of all, a Tuk Tuk ride home. For those of you who don't know, a Tuk Tuk is a three wheeled motorcycle powered cart with a shaded seat in the back. They go really fast and weave through traffic like the rest of the vehicles in Bangkok. It was pretty exhilarating to see the streets from this angle, and with the cool(er) evening air it was oddly relaxing.

Emma might beg to differ, I'll let her explain.

Sam is right. I do beg to differ. While I enjoyed the thrill of the wind whipping through the night air, I was more distracted by the reckless driving of our tuk tuk driver, who moved in between lanes of traffic at the speed of light. I couldn't help thinking that a crash at that speed in an open-air vehicle might be a bit of an ouch. Now I'll rewind to the beginning of the day:

After some shuffling of people and vans, we left for the floating market only 45 minutes after the arranged time. Not bad for Thailand. Max Mafia, our driver informed us of the following 3 important things for our trip:

1) We were ALL gangsters (not sure why)

2) If we didn't bring a bathing suit (no one did) we could "show the power" by stripping down and swimming in our underwear

3) Men could also become Superman simply by eating the meat of a cobra from one of the cobra shows near the market

Needless to say, he was a character. The market, as Sam mentioned, lacks some authenticity, but is still notable for the reference it makes to an important way of life for many people around Bangkok. The merchandise left something to be desired (mostly generic salt and pepper shakers, tiny statues of elephants, and TONS of hats). Nonetheless, the experience was definitely worthwhile.

We returned to the city feeling some of the after effects of a late night. After lunch we took a rest before getting up and heading out to see more of the city in the evening, when the temperature is a little more bearable.

I did almost tumble in to the canal when we boarded the river ferry, which takes off from the docks basically without warning. Fortunately, I'm quick like a cat and I jumped on at the last moment. This is, by far, the nicest way to travel from point A to point B in the city. Cheap, and cool, no traffic except for the occasional longboat.

We walked the streets to the Night Bazaar and spent a few hours browsing and honing our haggling skills with local merchants. It's hard to tell if we ever really get a good deal, but things are so cheap that it doesn't matter too much.

The pop band performing at the beer hall in the bazaar was hilarious. Alternating between a small woman singing Kelly Clarkson to a band of spiky haired guys singing Kings of Leon, it was hard to remember where we were.

This leads us to the tuk tuk, which I've already spoken about. Terrifying, but nice to get there fast and with a breeze.