DON WAI MARKET

Today the 'farangs' in the group ie Misako from Tokyo, Oddam from Paris and yours truly were given a special treat, a visit to the Don Wai Market in the suburbs of Bangkok. Easily accessible by expressway the market is about 45-minutes from the city, located on the expansive grounds of Wat Don Wai, along a scenic river. The serenity today will turn into a tourist trap this weekend, when the country celebrates the birthday of her beloved King Rama V, the chief architect who modernized Thailand.

Don Wai is more a food market than a market-market as almost everything on display is edible. The selling points are; freshness, uninflated prices but what the locals love is they can still buy items made in the traditional way that one may not be able to find in the city. To me on top of this list, without question, is the broad smiles and unmistaken friendliness. Take your time if you wish to take pictures, they would either stop what they are doing and wait, or even pose .... like this charmer of a hawker whom I bought some 'classic Thai savory snacks' from. We had lunch at a river side restaurant (they all offer the best view) in a simple meal of 'Phed Palor' and rice, with 'kuk fa cha'. We shared a whole duck, 'phed', and 'palor' describes the way it is cooked, in soya sauce & star anise. It is not goose, but it tastes better than goose. With a light breeze, the blue sky, and a baby swinging in his rocker next to us .... Bangkok chic is redefined.

Back at the ranch everyone was hard at yet another carving lesson!

BTW it is a working Sunday for me, to make up for truancy when Dora was here last week.