Another hot and humid day with temperature around 30 degrees and so humid that the sweat runs down the small of your back. In fact at one point I swear I felt it running inside my ear! But a great day! Come with me.....
An early morning start and we head out of town to the Train Market, also known as the Folding Umbrella Market. Here there is an railway line where vendors set up stalls all along the line to sell their wares... fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs and a lot of fresh fish of every type. Not only along side the tracks as you might think, but actually on the tracks. They put up awnings and umbrellas to close it in completely against the hot sun and hundreds of people wander through shopping or sightseeing.
All of sudden at 9:40 a whistle blows. This signals the train is coming in 5 minutes. I find a perfect spot between two stalls with an excellent view of both the market and the tracks. I set my camera to continuous shooting mode and get ready, inches from the train track.
With all the precision of a well orchestrated military manouever the merchants pull or push their tables and booths back from the track and lower their umbrellas and awnings. Within minutes they duck safely back from the oncoming train which slowly chugs past. Immediately the stalls are reassembled and with minutes they are back open for business.
I have managed to capture, frame by frame, every second of it as the booths come down, the train goes by and the booths go back up!! The train so close I could nearly reach out and touch it. The coolest thing ever!!
Vendors along the train tracks. Note the tracks in the centre.
As the train nears they quickly bring down the umbrellas and move back from the track.
The train slowly passes through.
I was standing right here.
The train passes.
Within seconds they are reassembling their booths. Back to business.From here we load back into our vans and head off to the Floating Market on the canals that connect into the Mae Klong River. We climb into Thai long-boats and float down the canals. Local farmers have houses built on stilts along the edge of the canals, on the other side of their homes are their orchards where they grow their produce. Women slowly float along the canal, their boats loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables..... pineapples, coconuts, pomellos, dragon fruit, persimmons.... and ice cold beer.
Along the sides are stalls of carvings, wooden elephants, jade buddhas, handicrafts of all sorts. AS you slowly pass by the reach out with a long hook and pull your boat near trying to sell their goods. For the most part the prices were quite high and we knew we would be able to purchase the same thing for a fraction elsewhere, but still the experience was amazing.
As we continued on our way, we stopped at a local pottery place. A family owned business where they make beautiful handpainted pottery... vases, figurines, delicate bowls and beautiful plates and urns with beautiful intricate designs. They explained their process and the steps they took to create their end product. We watched women dipping tiny little brushes into pots of brilliant colored paints and meticulously handpainting the designs onto the pottery while their young children played quietly on a nearby blanket.
Stopping for lunch along the riverbank we sipped cold beer and hid from the noonday sun before we continued on our way back to Bangkok and our hotel. Our guides had planned a special place for dinner tonight.
The restaurant is a very popular and successful place, and very unique. Even the name is unique, "Cabbages and Condoms". But it has a great story. Dr. Mechei, an Indian doctor in Thailand recognized two very serious issues that were impacting the country and its ability improve its way of life for its people. First, the population of Thailand was rapidly growing. The average number of children was 7, especially in the rural and hill areas. Families could not afford top provide for their families and especially to provide them with education. Dr. Mechei undertook trying to educate them about birth control and family planning, but this was difficult to make progress and get the message to the people. He felt the birth control, including condoms should be as accessible to people as vegetables at the market.
The second issue was the increase in opium production especially in the rural and hill areas as the people were forced into illegal production to be able to provide for their families. Dr, Mechei saw that the two issues were interrelated and needed to be addressed together. And the crop that could be grown the easiest and cheapest and quickest in these same areas was, you guessed it, cabbage.
Hence Cabbages and Condoms, a non-profit foundation, provides simple solutions to two very big socio-economic problems. And these restaurants (3 of them) create awareness and generate funds for the program.
The food is excellent. The atmosphere is fun. Everything is decorated in theme. Lamps and light fixtures are made out of condoms. The gift shop sells dozens of clever items, signs and posters on the wall cleverly communicate their goals and messages. We had a great time!
In our Tuktuk.
Condom light shade!
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