December 28: This morning we drove out of town, to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, about an hour from Bangkok.
Slice a piece of fruit, hand it to a passing boat, collect a small bill.
Read the paper while waiting for customers.
The river gets crowded when the tourists arrive and the vendors come out to meet them.
Cute little models of fruit vendors in their boats.
Large pictures of the King (sometimes with the Queen, more often alone) are everywhere. We were told that these pictures are at least 15 years old. The King is now in his late 80s, and has been hospitalized for several years.
After the Floating Market we drove to Nakorn Pathom to see the Phra Pathom Chedi pagoda, supposedly the largest pagoda in Southeast Asia. I couldn't get a photo that adequately depicts how massive this structure is, but I did get one that shows how attractive it is.
A guardian of the pagoda.
A statue of the Buddha, seated on the coils of Naga (a cobra) and shielded from the rain by the cobra's hood.
Beggars' bowls were lined up near the pagoda, for visitors to fill with coins.
In the afternoon we drove back to Bangkok and spent a few hours walking through Chinatown. A couple more images below.
I was struck by this monk's outfit.
