Trip to Maeklong Market - 9/5/10

Market goodies

    We spent Sunday on a day trip with a friend to the Maeklong market about 70 km from Bangkok. To get there we took the BTS (rapid transit in Bangkok) to the easternmost station, found the non-rapid train station nearby, rode that train for about 45 minutes to Malachai where we caught a ferry across the river to the next train station and reached Maeklong after another hour on the train. Almost all of the train passengers were Thais going to the markets along the way; some returned with goods for their restaurants or for families, filling the aisles in places on the trip home. We returned home by the same methods of transportation. We calculated that we spent the equivalent of $2.50 for our transportation on this trip. Lunch costs less than $5.00 for the three of us so this all day trip was quite a bargain and an interesting glimpse into everyday life for many Thais.
    Our traveling companion is fairly fluent in Thai and we are inspired to get our lessons set up. Most Thais are delighted if you try to communicate with even a trace of skill at the language and having some fluency changes the experiences during trips like this. Just knowing terms like "how much", "too much", and restaurant terms makes interactions much easier.
      The Maeklong market sits ON the railway tracks; the train passes 8 times a day, and when it does,  the vendors rapidly move or roll their goods out of the way, but just barely.  Large piles of vegetables are reduced in height by picking off the topmost layers, and the train passes over the piles, with a minimum of clearance. Other vendors offer their goods from carts on wheels and roll out of the way and the overlying canopies are pulled back to allow the train to pass. It is amazing sight of efficiency and cooperation.
    We arrived around 11:30 am and wanted to experience the flurry of activity when the next train arrived at 2:30 pm so we wandered the town, visiting the temple which was quite active that day.  It is also the best place to find bathroom facilities in almost any town. We  took a short ferry ride across the river  to check out a building on the other side that looked rather regal. We thought it might be a government building or a small hotel but it was a private residence and a Thai movie was being shot there that day.
   At the bottom of this post is a link to some photos from the day. There are a couple of videos from the train but the best video is the last posted photo and  is of the market being moved, the train passing through and then the market being put back in place. You may have to push play, then pause to let it download to view this video.

 http://picasaweb.google.com/renhud/TripToMaeklongMarket090510?authkey=Gv1sRgCNTjwYT-9YrEEQ#

The train track and the market share tight quarters.

 

Small steps to acclimation

Well, my standards for a successful day in Bangkok are on the rise after a 2 week period of acclimation; however, those standards have a long way to go before I can say I have accomplished much. It is quite an adjustment to having so much free time after so long without much but I am coping!!!

Today, after tracking down the American Women's club on my own (it will offer a chance to get involved in community service here) I finally dared step into an establishment offering pedicures, among many other services; we have passed it many times but I needed to master  (or possibly butcher) a few words in Thai to be sure I could communicate on a basic level. Plus, to get to the TenTen spa, I had to walk through a bakery/restaurant so there was another stumbling block. What if they asked me what I wanted? I don't know how to say "nothing" yet. 

Anyway, back to the pedicure. I am glad I finally made it. I tend to resist the inclination to pamper myself but after 2 weeks of walking the streets in my Chaco's on a daily basis, my feet were feeling sore and rough, and looking like they felt that way too. Not only did they speak better English than I speak Thai, I was brought a very strong ginger tea, which was quite refreshing, and a pile of magazines. Now you may think I speak with a heavy Southern accent but here they don't know where I hail from. So the stack of publications included one from each of the following: Germany, France, Thailand and Britain. I, of course, could read only the British gossip mag but I thumbed through the others, and ooh-la-la, does France show plenty in their ads that would not be seen anywhere in the U.S. except behind the counter. 

Anyway, I was pampered plenty and it was a refreshing break from the busy streets. The cost was 500 baht, which is about $16.00.

When I was done, I was energized enough to track down some chocolate chips, the last missing ingredient in my oatmeal cookies - Tom can't wait! Then I stopped at a roadside stand and ordered a Veg Pad Thai to go, shelling out $1.00 for the dish which is quite good, with enough left for lunch tomorrow. 

Now one of my next goals is to be able to post photos on this site. Don't hold your breath.

Bangkok Beginnings

This is my first effort at creating a blog. I intend to use it as a way to record our daily life in Bangkok and also adventures we have in traveling around the area. I may cover more mundane material than many travel blogs, but  we are living here now, not just traveling through and the details of daily life here are different than those in the U.S. It may be more of a diary for me than travelogue for others. I think you can sign up if you want regular updates or you can just revisit this link if the urge hits you to find out what is going on in our lives. I will record some of the events in the two weeks I have been here in later posts but I will jump in with today's events or I may never get started.