Railway Market and the Floating Market
A late start today as we didn’t get back to the hotel until 9.30pm last night and the markets do not open until 10. The Railway Market was the first to be visited, ninety minutes away and through decent countryside. But first time to admire the elevated highway that has been built in Bangkok – 55 kms of concrete and still being built. Leaving the van and walking through a very small alleyway, the railway market was there.
Imagine a railway track inside a tunnel of stalls selling everything imaginable. Clothes, toys, leather goods and even live fish. It is about 500 metres long, but seems longer when everybody is walking in both directions at once. We turned right and walked through to the end and crossed the road into the train station. The train arrived to a dead stop and then leaves on the same track and goes back to wherever it came from. It was hard to take decent pics and I suggest that you watch the many youtubes of the place to really see how it works.

We had to wait fifteen minutes for the train to arrive and spent the time just hanging around with a throng of people. The horn preceded the arrival and I had time to snag a spot to shoot pics but the crowd was being moved into safer places by the railway police and I to move constantly backward to a safer place. The train stopped in the station and stayed for twenty minutes. That gave us time to go back into the Market and find a place to stand for the passing of the train on its return journey.

What can you say about an experience that lets you stand inches away from a moving train and still live to tell the tale? Not much you had to be there.

Back on the van and on to the next Market – this one floats. One gets into a small ten seater canoe, the canoe was carefully loaded for stability by the attendant who balance the boat by assigning seats by the weight and size of the passengers. Crammed into the canoe the person doing the rowing had to work for their money by taking us on a circuit of the canals for about forty-five minutes. Rowing the boat as close to the vendors sitting on the steps of the dock we were encouraged to buy anything they had to sell. We did buy a couple of beers from the guy in a small boat in the middle of the Canal, he stayed moored to us as we conducted the transaction. Hit the spot in the hot sun and humidity but paid for it – double the street price!

Amazed and rested we alit the boat and were immediately transported to the ‘secret room’ accessible only to tours that have a guide. Anyway this room was filled with high quality ‘knockoffs’ of major brands: Gucci, Louis Vuitton and more.

Enough of that, off to lunch. Again another set piece for six, none of us knowing what anything was, except for the immediately distinguishable rice. First question from everybody, “Is it spicy?”

An early finish today and back to the hotel for 4pm – we have to board the “Dinner Cruise” at 7pm. Transported to one of the swanky hotels on the river the cruise company had a piece of the pier. A welcoming drink and a Thai. appetizer and then we boarded. Only 35 people on this boat it was ritzy – glad we all dressed up for this night.
A seven course meal and a stunning photo shoot in front of the major tourist sight – Wat Arun, it was all worth the effort.

Another stunning day.