Mango Plantation on the Mekong River

Saturday continued with a visit to Blue's grandma's mango plantation on the Mekong River.  Driving in we saw the rows of mango trees as we approached her home on the river.  She has a beautiful view from an outdoor area overlooking the river.  The breeze was so refreshing.  We could have stayed there all day.  

We left there to go visit her friends down the road, they own a Lichee plantation on the river.  We ate Lichee which taste kind of like grapes with big seeds.  There were beautiful flowers growing there as well.  Everyone was so friendly and welcoming to us.  We really got a taste of Thai life visiting these homes.

Damnoen Floating Market

On Saturday we spent the day with my morning students.  Blue organized the entire day with her dad and his friend driving us out into another southern province.  We left Bangkapi (our town) at 8:00 am and headed out to the Damnoen Saduak floating Market in Ratchaburi Province.  We arrived at 10:30.  It is a rural area and was so refreshing to be out where it was green and open after the crowds in the city.  In the past daily commerce in Thailand was mostly conducted along the rivers and canals.  Bangkok water network was busy and served as the principal means of communication causing Bangkok to be called the "Venice of the East" by early european visitors. Today the floating market is a "must see" destination.  Hundreds of boats crowd the market area paddled by women in awesome hats because the sun is hot!  We took a boat road through the vendors to savor the sights, smells and sounds.  It was an incredible experience.  If you have ever experienced a traffic jam in a vehicle, think about on a boat and we didn't have life jackets!  (Safety precautions are non existent here)