Bangkok

We managed to fit a lot into our two days in Bangkok.

The first day we spent the morning exploring our neighbourhood and as we do, we found the small little allies where the people live. We had delicious street food on a curb for breakfast. 

For the afternoon we had booked a tour to the floating market, the train market and a boat trip. 

The organiser said it would be a group of maximum 10 and turned out to be 14, so that meant a full bus. 

The drive to the market was long and for quite a bit of time we sat in traffic. 

I slowly started to loose interest for this tour... 

Finally we reached the floating market, which turned out to be such a disappointment. I had imagined a small canal packed with little wooden boats and ladies in straw hats selling fruit and veggies etc.

Instead we met an almost empty canal with market stalls along the sides in buildings suited for just that.

The few boats that actually were on the water, served as restaurants. 

Not at all what I imagined, however we found some great street food. 

Next was the train market. A market strangely situated along a railway track. Basically on the tracks! Every few hours there is a train passing and all the stall owners has to push back their stalls, which are on wheels. And you have to find a little spot to hide as the train passes v e r y close to you!

One wonders, who came first - the market or the tracks?

We ended off this tour with a boat trip on the river, to look at fireflies. We managed to see some, but it was too much lights in the area to really experience it. The boat trip itself was nice tho.

However the long drive back to town wasn't...

The next day we met our new group. Only three other people and a guide. Seams like an ok bunch.

We visited the Gran Palace, together with thousands and thousands of our new Chinese friends... 

The palace is a place out of the ordinary. Gold, sparkles, decorations, temple after stupa. Too big to try and take in, and impossible to get your head around.

We visited "The Emerald Buddha temple" the most sacred place in Thailand.

After the Grand and the Royal palaces some of us took a boat trip on the canals, to experience a bit more of the "real" Bangkok.

We visited, what used to be a floating market, which today is like a big food court, partly placed on a barge. 

All in all a lovely day, that ended with food in one of the many restaurants popping up at night.