We were up early and had another great breakfast. We walked out of the air-conditioned hotel into another hot, humid Bangkok morning. The overcast skies were a little gloomy, but I hoped for the best.
I'd arranged to have one of the cabs at the taxi stand take us to the "floating market" for THB 15,000 ($47). We were hoping for some great pictures. The driver could tell we were a bit tired and told us we could nap a bit because the market was an hour or so south of Bangkok.
Travel Info: We later found out that there are eight or nine different floating markets and that the driver takes you to the one where he gets the biggest commission, not necessarily to the one that's the most authentic or photogenic.
We'd been riding along for about 45 minutes when the driver asked if we'd like to stop at a special village market on some train tracks that was becoming a major attraction. He said the train's arrival is spectacular.
The cab parked a couple of blocks away, and we walked to the market. According to the schedule, the train was supposed to be there in about 15 minutes. While we waited, we decided to walk around shooting the market vendors and the other folks, like us, waiting for the train. Surprisingly, there were a lot of school students here waiting for the spectacular to happen. I wondered of what educational value this might be. The train finally showed up after 45 minutes.
I don't know what I imagined, but this floating market experience wasn't it. The cab pulled up in front of a boat service where you have to bargain for a boat to take you to the market. Despite all our efforts, we'd been caught in another Thai tourist trap. We had to bargain with the man who owned the boat service and finally ended up paying half of what he wanted for two-thirds of normal time. In other words, he wanted $60 for an hour and a half, and we ended up paying $30 for an hour. But if I had known what was ahead, I'd have just gone back to the hotel.
It was like the jungle boat ride at Disneyland. The waterways were concrete canals that interlinked with other canals. It took a while to get to the market area, where the tourists outnumber the locals three or four to one. I was only able to get a couple of really nice shots, because there were just too many tourists to get a clear shot of anything interesting. Lots of souvenirs and everything marketed toward visitors.
When we got back, we tipped the boat captain a little, but as far as I was concerned, this was just a tourist trap. This had been an expensive trip and not much to show for it.
The driver could tell we were a little pissed. Instead of going back to the hotel, we asked him to take us to the Chatuchak market. It's a weekend market that covers over 35 acres, with over 15,000 stalls and more than 200,000 visitors. This place has everything, it just takes a while to find it, so you will need to have patience. He dropped us off and pointed out where the Skytrain station was. We got out without tipping him; we weren't too happy with this guy.
Travel Tip: This place is hot, really hot. You need to bring water and a hat. This place is also crowded, so you need to keep track of your valuables. I suggest keeping your money out of sight.
The market is a giant place, and the layout of the alleyways is unpredictable. I found it very hard to figure out where the different sections were located. After about 30 minutes we found the antiques section. There were lots of wonderful things here, but not many bargains. I could have spent a lot more time here if we hadn't needed to head back for the Skytrain.
The train was crowded, and Ann and I got separated just by the crush of the crowd. We rode down the line five stops and had to push our way out, making it to the platform just as the doors were closing.
We got back to the hotel a little after 4 p.m. and rested for a bit, then decided to go to Patpong, one of Bangkok's red light districts. We just wanted to take a surface look at the place, not get drawn in like so many men of my age, looking for a glimpse of their youth and a little love, even if you had to pay for it.
Besides being a center for strip clubs and bars, Patpong is also a night market. When we arrived, the main thoroughfare was being converted into a series of lanes, and people were selling everything from sunglasses, belts, and watches to custom jeans and sex toys.
I mentioned in an earlier episode that when you're shooting and concentrating on your composition, it's easy to lose track of where you are. And that is just what happened to Ann and me. One minute she was right behind me, and the next she was nowhere to be seen. Thirty minutes later, when I'd almost given up trying to find her, I sighted her in front of a 7-11 store. It was a joyous reunion, and we celebrated by buying some junk food.
I'd had enough for one day. Just one more task: bargaining for the taxi ride back to the hotel.
