Day 12
• Up early again like yesterday to view the river mist; even better today • Packed for checking out before breakfast at 0700 • Resort staff loaded all our bags in the car while we were having breakfast. Several people from the Eastern Thailand town/community travel group we talked to yesterday had come and said goodbye before we got in the car. They kept waving as they saw us off. As if right on cue, playlist on 老詹‘s car started playing “When Will I See You Again” by The Three Degrees. That made me think about our leaving Thailand in just 2 more days. Even though we had talked about coming back as a group again soon, but who knew. Suddenly, my heart felt heavy. • Arrived at one of its many privately owned/operated docks of Damnoen Saduak Floating Market shortly after 1100 • Boarded a skinny motorized long-tail boat after trying some tasty Thai bananas - fresh, honey coated and grilled, and fried - at the store • We spent about an hour in the boat traversing the narrow waterways of this historical marketplace, including the spot shown in the 007 Bond movie “The Man with the Golden Gun”. Yes, I totally remembered the exact scene. • The next stop was Mae Klong Railway Market, which is just a short drive away • Lunch at the renowned 廣銘珍 restaurant, famous for its 叉燒餛飩麵 (乾或湯), right next to the market • Had 2 coconuts at a roadside stand – one fresh, another roasted before chilled. The roasted one has a dense creamy and light caramel flavor but remained the usual clean and refreshing taste. Both were good. • This is the Coconut Capital of Thailand. There are endless coconut fields lining both sides of the road, with alternating coconut groves and irrigating canals. The town has an intricate waterway for irrigation. • Kevin tasted a fresh durian (金枕) for the very first time while walking in the railway market. Judging from his reaction, I thought he liked it. • We finally saw the famous train slowly arriving at the terminal and how the market rapidly and skillfully closing the awning and collecting merchandise outside along the railway as the train approached, and just as quickly reopening all of it right after the train passed. • Checked in at the Damnoen Care Resort around 1630, a facility carefully designed for wheelchair access but also a quiet and quaint place • Dinner at Khum Damnoen Resort, a rather fancy hotel and restaurant with great food and truly amazing and attentive services
