Thailand Floating Market

Today we went out on a little boat to shop at the market. It is known here in Thailand as a floating market. We boarded our little boat and were rowed down the river by our driver. Amazingly, most of the boat operators are female and they are often older. It is so hard to guess any one's age here because a 25 year old often looks about 16. There is such a young innocence to the Thai culture.

 The market has an array of sundries such as clothes, toys, artisan work, and food. Your driver paddles you up and down the river and then the shop owners pull you to their booths with long poles with hooks fashioned on the end.

 The price of goods is always negotiable. Tourists are charged at least double the price. My sister and her husband have been here long enough to know the tricks and to barter the prices down. My son is trying a cookie like chip with coconut cream on top. I wish I could replicate this amazing dessert at home. Yum!

 I tried a coconut early on in our excursion for the low cost of $1. What a treat!

 The shops not only line the river, but they are in boats themselves. Women have large woks and pans on their boats where they cook you breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I have found a typical Thai meal to cost between $1 to $3. The food is very cheap in comparison to U.S. standards. The cost to get to Asia is expensive, but once we got here, we could easily live like kings.

 Here is My son enjoying the relaxing boat ride. Who wouldn't like a boat ride where you can buy the freshest bananas, mango, and coconuts along the way?

 This is an example of a typical shop. Many of the vendors have the same products to offer.

 Shops are covered by tin roofs and they often don't look sturdy in nature. If you can throw up a roof, you can open a store anywhere in Thailand.

My son found his treasure at this shop. He chose a coconut turtle with intricate carvings. The best part is it lights up. He is going to love having it in his room. We paid $9 for our lamp which my sister said was a rip off. However, anyone that has the talent to construct one of these coconut lamps, easily deserves that much in my opinion. I just thought I was crafty until I saw some of the local handiwork here in Thailand!