After breaky we decided to walk to a flower market that Andy had read about. It was a fair walk but in Bangkok you don't really notice how far you are walking...there is so much to see along the way that you're totally engrossed in your surroundings. After getting lost as per usual I decided to pop into a coffee store and ask directions. Normally this is tricky but there was a girl there who spoke English and told us we would need to catch a bus to the flower market (it was not in the area we were in). Of course Andy didn't quite believe her so we decided to push on. Before we left I asked if we could use their toilet. Going to the toilet here is always tricky as normal toilets are not always available so when there is one I jump at the chance to take Charlie there. Yesterday I tried to take her to a squat toilet and gave up before I even began....I know she will try to sit on the section where you are meant to stand and that would be very scary!!!! They showed me to the toilet and the ladies was engaged but told me I could use the mens. It was perfectly clean and after Charlie went I turned around to go. I turned my back for no more then a few seconds and then I hear Charlie say 'Mummy what's this sink here'.....I swung around to find Charlie with her hands in the small urinal hung on the wall. I don't think I have ever moved so quickly to pull out disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer in my life!!! I think I doused her in the stuff before I decided she may survive any possible diseases. Yep, Bangkok with a very curious toddler is going to be fun!
We finally found the flower market which unfortunately was not a flower market at all (so the girl in the coffee shop was right - shock horror). Instead of a flower market it was in fact a food market for locals and it was very interesting (although I was feeling a bit queezy at the time). There was an abundance of raw meat and fresh vegies and herbs. Also at the market was an array of fresh fish, snakes, turtles, crabs and toads. Not sure what toad dish is popular here and I do hope I never find out. All of these animals were alive so it was kind of like taking Charlie to an animal farm. She did seem to find it very interesting. I think Andy has posted more photos of this market on krapow.
After the market we headed home and both got Thai massages....$6 for 30 mins and they were amazing! I think these will become a regular staple while we are here. After our massages we went for a swim which I think made Charlie's day. Another staple for the holidays I think.
Lunch was at an old haunt that we visited last time...a restaurant just up the road from our hotel which is a Vietnamese noodle house. We had pork noodle soup while Charlie munched on pre made vegemite and peanut butter sandies.......what an excellent afternoon!
Charlie was exhausted after all that so we put her down for a nap while Andy and I had a few beers on the balcony.
That night we decided to go to a market near the river the name of which I can't remember. We had read about this market last time we were here but were unable to go due to the flooding, so this time it was a must. It was supposed to be a younger market - described as where all the young, hip Thais go to hang out and buy cool stuff from at night.
We caught the ferry there and the market was still setting up so we decided to go get some food. We started to walk towards a food market that Andy thought was in the area and after a bit of a walk decided that it was too hard to find. Rather then continuing on as we would normally do we decided to head back to a restaurant that we had just passed. It looked popular and air-conditioned so we agreed this would do.
After reading the menu to discover that it was actually a burger, steak and chips joint I thought for sure we would head on to find something else. Andy would surely have none of this.......he refuses to eat this kind of stuff in Melbourne normally so why on earth would he agree to eat it in Thailand. But to my jaw dropping surprise he agreed to go for it. Not sure if it was the previous beers that helped (actually I am fairly sure it was) but yes we had burgers, fries and coke for dinner!!
After our burgers we went onto the market which was only ok - it was young and there were heaps of young Thais there, but the clothing was typical Thai (very small and mostly garish) but we did manage to get a few shirts for Andy and Charlie.
Before we got to the market there was another market at the side which was amazingly a flower market...I have never seen so many flowers and I could not believe you could buy a bunch for about $1 dollar. I could not help myself and got two bunches of roses...
Hello bangersandrice, go on eat a toad, I dare you.
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