Today we got up at 5.30am after a late night the night before and caught a mini van to the Damneon floating market about 2 hours drive away (if you drive at 130kph like the driver was doing). After boarding a long

boat, which was pretty precarious, we were taken along the canal full of boats with wares for sale and stalls along the waters edge. This was a sensory sensation, with noise, competing boats and colourful items for sale. Our only problem was that we couldn’t get away from stall holders who were insisting we purchase things (so I just had to obligue!). The stall holders ‘hook’ you in with a long metal hook and won’t let your boat go.

 

 

The journey home was LONG and not so comfortable so we just HAD to have a massage after tea to recover. We are either returning back to Melbourne the next day or visiting a Thai prison… with a VISA which expired 2 days previous. Let’s hope for Melbourne because I don’t think there is aircon in the prisons and it will probably be more uncomfortable than some of our sleepovers.

Here is how we remember our motel rooms. Not by destination, but by description:

-The motel with the bedbugs (Lee still has bites all over her from a week ago)
-The motel with the mattress springs that stuck into you
-The motel with the toilet cistern which leaked all over the floor
-The motel with no top sheet
-The motel with the pillow made of crushed rock (just a slight exaggeration)
-The motel with the door which wouldn’t lock
-The treehouse bungalow
-The one where the King stayed
-The one with the exposed electrical wiring behind the bed head

Of course this makes it look like we had the most miserable trip ever… but these things are what we all have a laugh about and made the adventure worthwhile. As well as the chooks, dogs, monkeys and cows on the road. The fried crickets, frogs and cockroaches at the markets. The squat toilets and the eternal hunt for the 5 Baht ‘loo payment’.

We have had an incredible trip and enjoyed getting around with our Aunts and Uncles who have been lots of  fun and very tolerant of our quirks.  Lee and Lorraine are the best shopping companions!!

More photos here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=247000&id=561229505&l=d2897ddf81