From Bangkok via hired car we drive to our first destination... the railway market. absolutely incredible. packed. prime time grocery shopping. every food imaginable for sale. Think curry paste, live eels, starfish, pink eggs, pig legs, fruit, live catfish, squid, water bugs, herbs, veggies. both sides of the tracks lined with food, literally lined right up next the iron tracks. we wander and wander, clearly spell bound. it's like the land of oz where are the flying monkeys?
there's commotion, crazy commotion. awnings go up, tables are pushed in, thai yelling, the tracks are suddenly empty. ahhh train coming! training coming! but business must go on. it's phasing no one except for the awe struck tourists, clearly the minority. we are pulled inside a shop. whistle blows. wind blows. the train does not slow, business must go on with or without a casualty. FDA? forget the FDA. the food is fine as the train passes right over just barely grazing the top. Awnings are down. tables are back out. just business as usual, 3 maybe 4 times a day, everyday. all just part of a normal day. Crazy!!!
next up the floating market. we rent a boat, more like a gondola. 400 baht. through the canals, passing boats, 'boat shops', vendors. its crazy busy and crazy hot. food everywhere. the photo ops are one in a million. we watch the boats, colors, people. we smell the smells. it's truly like nothing else. the canals are traffic jammed, watch your fingers! we paddle past banana farms and coconut farms and family homes. Ning feeds every dog in sight. we coast next to a noodle boat vendor and grab pork noodle soup and coconut pancakes. de-lish! we are satisfied. we are full of happiness. we are hungover on culture. we are warm, fuzzy times ten.
what's next? I mean really nothing can top this. it's a long drive. on the way we see salt farms and daily rural thai life. those hats why did i not purchase a few? we pit shop at the Thai handi-craft center. uber talented Thais. the carvings are elaborate. Ning makes a point to point out all the dirty ones, elephant penis, elephants pooping, humping monkeys. huh, really. Thanks Ning.
It's true, saving the best for last is always worth it. we are at a fishing village. no words. literally no words fit what we are seeing, feeling, smelling, eating. it just.... well no words. it does not and will not ever compare. another boat, this one with a mud motor. we stop by a farmers boat. they are cleaning nets. they are pure joy. big smiles. warm hearts. we can't communicate but I can see they are happy to show and they can see we are happy to be shown. fish for fish oil, funky little crabs and yes one red snake. Ning says no and I say thank you.
we drive out to sea. mind the bamboo road markers. wait, what is that? who is that? we coast up to a women dressed from the sun, shoulder high in sea water, just hanging out, floating. well not entirely she is spending six hours of her day in the water farming scallops from the muddy sea bottom. filling a laundry basket full. all day, every day. perspective. right there that is pure, clear perspective... that desk isn't so bad after all.
a quick detour off the sea into a channel. we sit. we wait. we wait some more. uhh what are we waiting for? what am I missing? Oh, oh is that it? Is that what we are here for? what the heck is that? fish? fish running on top of the water!?! what? yah! there's another one... and another. mud-skippers!! we giggle. we scream. our 'captain' who speaks zero English is laughing at us. a full belly laugh. it is awesome. we are done with the mud-skippers and so now he decides to show off. we are back out to sea but this time on the shallow side. well more like mud side. he revs the engine and takes us on a full out boat cruise through the mud. it's interesting. Matt thinks its awesome. Ning is with me. I think it's a guy thing.
Next up the mussel farm. they are green, attached to bamboo stakes in the sea. those fabulous mussels we love to eat take a year to grow. one year. oysters are next. little cement pieces tied to strings tied to poles hanging in the water. again another year to grow. there are bamboo huts on slits over the water everywhere. the oyster, mussel, scallop business is a hot business. huts serve as sleeping quarters and thieve lookouts. and impromptu dining places for western tourists. we carefully make our way up the bamboo ladder. it's a fabulous view. it's a fabulous lunch. Fresh, hot seafood. Did I say FRESH seafood, like literally nabbed right out of the sea we are standing above. shrimp stew, gigantic prawns, rice, catfish, whole fish, seaweed. we are left to dine alone. just the two of us and this great big sea. de-lish! we are full. and we are amazed.
we relax for a bit but the captain has one last adventure. for real I don't think there is anything left. it can't get any better. but we are back on the boat cruising through the sea. onto another channel. again we wait and we drift. and then we see them... one monkey, two monkeys... ten monkeys and before we know it more wild monkeys than we have ever seen before. That's why Ning bought all that ridiculous fruit. we are here to feed the wild monkeys. apple-like fruit and bananas. we throw fistfuls to the island, to the monkeys. they go crazy, they make crazy noise. Monkeys are coming from all over now swimming through the water, swinging through trees, cannon-balling from branches down to the water to get closer. all in an effort to get food. so happy to get food. there are big monkeys and little monkeys and mama monkeys with little baby monkeys clinging to their chest. 2 tribes. clearly one from the wrong side of the water. they are screeching and swimming and swinging and jumping and now fighting, viciously fighting. one tribe retreats. we follow. we feed until we are out of food. and we laugh. who does this stuff?!?!?
we say our goodbyes. we are back to Bangkok. Thank you Ning. Thank for showing us things we didn't even know existed. thank you for this awesome, awesome tour.
and where do we go when are full of happiness and culturally overloaded? back to the rooftop pool to float in all our joy.
we clean up, dress up and pump up. a night on the town. a splurge on a dinner in a fancy, fancy restaurant. Moon Bar. 59th floor of the Banyan Tree Resort. And when I say 59th floor I mean 59th floor open air restaurant and bar. It is incredible. It's breath taking. We are sitting at a bar on the edge of a freaking skyscraper. we test the waters and have drinks and smokes first. Our timing is right we can get a table for dinner. The menu is astonishing, $40 for f'in chicken and that is the only thing in that price range... the lowest price range. Didn't we just have lunch for two for under two bucks the other day? So we pretend to be vegetarian, it's the less expensive route and we don't appear cheap ;) Fantastic food. potato cream soup. Cesar salad. chilled pea soup. lemongrass sorbet. vegetable angel hair. vegetable? something dish. it doesn't sound super amazing but the flavors were to die for. followed by honey lavender ice cream. Wow! it's a top 10 dining experience. 
amazing city views, spectacular dinner, complimentary photo and fantastic asian 20-something people watching (puerto rico all over again but this time in super short dresses). and another fabulous day ended in Thailand!
