BKK Day 2: Damnoensaduak Floating Market

#travelthursday

Located 100km southwest of Bangkok, I had to book a tour for this from the hostel.  The pick-up time was 7-ish as the journey takes about two hours from the city.  Granted it is a market but I wasn't excited about shopping (lol!), I wanted to have a glimpse of the countryside and experience the floating market itself. :P

For 150 Baht, I took the low, long-tailed boat ride (I recorded a short clip here) and positioned myself at the last solo seat (infront of Manong Bangkero).  Hehe.  As soon as he started rowing, the two teenager boys who were sitting infront of the Korean couple infront of me spat into the canal.  GROSS!  I hate people who spits in public places.  XD

boiling hot and I forgot my paper umbrella XD

Anyway, the area is very vibrant and colorful because of the vast and varied items that the villagers sell in their small boats which are usually paddled by women in their straw hats.  The canal is just too tourist-oriented that you should expect uhmm "heavy traffic" (hehehe) or rather boat rage along the way. 

So I gathered that the agricultural products being sold here were from the fertile lands of the farmers in the village and that the canal serves as a good source of water for their plants.  Hence the different fruits and vegetables ferried in the boats.  (P.S.  I bet that fresh coconut I missed to buy in the video tastes really good, hahaha!!)  But other than the tasty local produce, it was quite a disappointment that the items they sell here are just like what I would normally see in Divisoria here in Philippines.  There was nothing Thai-authentic in them (hello Gucci and LV knock offs!!!).  Moreover, the prices are too steeeeep!!!  It's like daylight robbery!!!!  Well I tried to haggle once just for the experience and we used the calculator to indicate the price since they hardly talk in English.  They didn't like my prices. :P  They aren't like those in Mongkok in HK who'd follow you around.  But of course, it's not like they're gonna dive into the dirty canal just to get hold of me.  LOL!

After going through the maze of the canal to check out the stalls, the tour guide gave us 15 minutes to roam around the not-so-floating market and I bought for myself some mini bags for souvenir to gurlfwends. :P  That's when I had the chance to take the photo above and touched very slightly a huge yellow python meant for photo-ops in there.  Yays! :))

The free boat trip inclusive of the tour was the speedboat ride that will cruise along the rice paddies and fruit plantation.  It was the perfect perch to explore more about the traditional way of life of the villagers.  I was shocked when I saw a woman washing the fish (for food) by the canal.  Nalurkey akey ng bonggang bongga!!!   I remembered the spit incident and it wouldn't take someone with half a brain cell to note that the canal isn't clean.  >_<  At the end of the speedboat ride is the heart of the village.  I found it very charming and it has an open restaurant offering al fresco lunch.

Before I head back to our van, I saw this beautiful unknown structure (perhaps a temple?) and took a photo of it.  The guy who I asked to take my picture below asked for a photo with me in his camera.     Uuuugh, lordy!!  The vulnerability of traveling alone!!! LOL!!