Bangkok - Easy Day

Did I mention the parting gift we got from the Noordam?  B & I both picked up a cold & cough the last couple days on the ship.  It is still lingering around, with me just a cough which I will probably have till summer as I am suspect to chronic bronchitis and B a tiredness that he can't shake.  Hopefully we will both be well by next week when we go work with the elephants...
Today we headed out to the sky train, which I heard was a thing to ride while in the city.  We stopped first at the concierge, (whose American name is Brian - lol) and he said "oh sky train, you go to weekend market?"  YES, ok, sounds good...  So now we had a destination, instead of just riding the train and shopping was at the end!  YAY! 
The ride was pretty much an elevated subway and being Saturday was quite crowded.  The Thai and most Asians seem to think if the doors open, and they want on the train or bus, they should GET on! No matter how many people are already on! lol!  I like riding on them, but need a seat as I don't enjoy the rocking while standing,the abrupt starts & stops and the jerking motion...otherwise it is fun! lol

Bangkok Skytrain

B on the sky train - can you finish the caption on his t-shirt?

We talked to some adorable 5 year old twins on the train who were from India.  They liked my blue nails and I liked their twinkle toe shoes.  They were going shopping too but to a different market.  Turns out the weekend market is in a very pretty park.  It was a huge maze of carts and stands and booths - inside and out...  B decided to get a half hour foot massage and turned me loose to shop!  But only gave me some money AND told me I had to find him again...  I dared not wander too far, I might never find him again...lol!  I bought a few things, but B wasn't feeling well so we headed back to the hotel...  

view from the sky train platform of the park

just 1 street of the outside market

One of the things I really enjoy here are the unique fruits.  Pictured here are mangosteen and rambutan. 

I have tried both - the mangosteen has a large pit inside and you cut open the fruit and eat the white part next to the seed.  It is sweet and a bity mushy - I would eat it again.  You peel the rambutan and eat it to the seed.  The taste is good but I prefer its cousin, which is the darker one, pulasan.  It is more like a lychee and grape-like when you bite into it, but it has a seed inside.

pulasan, a kind of lychee nut/fruit

As we were leaving the market, I needed to use the bathroom.  Today was the first time I had to use an Eastern toilet - which means one you have to squat over, not sit on...lol! 

I have been practicing my squats at the gym the last 3 months doing 10 a day, but I never held them - just repeatedly bent down...needless to say is was an experience...  And speaking of toilets, I want to discuss them for a few lines.  You know you are in Asia when the toilet seat has foot prints on it - honest! look closely, this was as a nice place too...

The western toilet on the first class car was broken, so I had to use the squat one.  Now imagine yourself trying to squat while rocking and swaying as the same time!  Luckily there was 1 handle/grab bar - my dad would of called it a "chicken bar".  And although I understand the purpose of having a hose next to the crapper (very practical really), who taught these women to spray ALL of the area, including the floor and the seat...  Make sure you bring enough - that's right, bring your own tp - to wipe the seat off before you sit down, you will only forget once! lol Oh and finally, in most places you have to pay (not quite a $1) for the privilege to bring your own paper, wipe off the seat, make use of the facility then smile at the attendant and say thank you -  "Kob khun ka"   

Kids are adorable all over and I like to think I take decent photos of them.  Here are a couple from today.  All for now - have a great day today and a better one tomorrow...

kid buys a gelatto from my new tuk-tuk truck lol!