two steps behind

It was weeks ago when I found “Hoklee Cafe” at the Dam Nuen Saduak floating market in Ratchaburi province. I was taking my grandma and mom to visit the floating market. However, we arrived there a little bit late in the afternoon and there were not much activities left at the floating market. So we simply looked for a place to just sit and relax. We just found the cafe by coincidence! Those that often travel with elderly people must know how often the elders use the restroom. For my grandma that is 78 years old, she uses the restroom every other hour! Because of that we ran into this awesome cafe the “Hoklee Cafe” at the Lao Tuk Luck, which is a section of the Dum Nuen Saduak floating market.

Based on the information I gathered from chatting with the owner of the cafe; the cafe was a house that was passed down from generations to generations. The house’s foundation and roof has been renovated but the interiors were kept un-touched to preserve its origins as much as possible. Currently the owner has turn the house into a cafe shop for a quick stop off point for the passers-by, either by foot travel or by boat. The owner and the community of Lao Tuk Luck  are trying to rejuvenate the livelihood of the community as it was seen years ago.

Check out the Lao Tuk Luck facebook for more information and photos of the community.

My grandma was really pleased with Hoklee Cafe as it was very peaceful, calm and breezy yet classic and elegant in its own way. Be sure to ask for the Lao Tuk Luck’s community when you visit the floating market.

HOT… REALLY HOT! It’s 36 degree Celsius here in BANGKOK!

A day like this, makes me want to jump into the pool and just be cooled by the water. Or perhaps a nice boat trip in Chao Phra Ya river would be in order. A speed boat trip is one of the MUST DO thing in Bangkok. The trip normally includes visits to many different historical sites along the river. I, too, took the trip once a few years ago and was surprised by the amazing sites.

Really, anyone that comes to Bangkok must at least take a speed boat trip to experience the  city!

Too hot to write any further…

Venice? No. This is better than Venice!

It’s Aum Pha Wa Floating Market, one of the tourist attractions in Thailand. Finally I got to travel again during Songkran Festival (April 13, Traditional Thai New Year) It wasn’t anywhere far, it’s Aum Pha Wa… again! The last time we visited, we didn’t get to take many pictures, nor could we explore much of the market because it was already late.

Second times a charm! We were amazed at how many things were left unexplored the last time we visited. The picture selected today shows some of the interesting lifestyle that is hard to find elsewhere. Down to earth lifestyle or perhaps we can call it down to “canal” lifestyle!

Only later that I found out about the house in the picture is a home stay http://www.ruernsabay.com/ I guess the next time we visit, we should try to stay here. But my concern which is the loud noises in the area. On second thought, just a dinner in front of the house should be enough

Just waiting for a boat

and waiting…
and waiting…..
and waiting……..
and waiting………..
and waiting…………..
and waiting……………..
and waiting…………………
and waiting……………………..
and waiting………………………..
and waiting……………………………

DONE waiting!!!

TAXI!

Simply just want to share a moment while we were waiting for a boat that, after 20 minutes, never show up!
We were waiting at Tha Dian port across from Wat Arun (the glowing temple in the picture) after a full day trip in Bangkok.

Exhausted!

It’s been days, weeks, or even months since I’ve posted a single picture! Life sure is busy here in Thailand. So many places to visit, so many foods to eat, and so many pictures left unprocessed

It took me a month before I got to work on this picture.  This was at Aum Pha Wa, a night floating market just an hour from Bangkok!
Whoops time is up!

I’ll keep trying to update more often

Sitting next to a table full of “Pla Sa-Lid,” a type of fish, that when deep-fried is very crunchy and delicious. One of many traditional Thai foods which I love to eat ever since I was a kid. I am currently looking at the pile of fish on table wondering how many fish we bought from shopping at the fish market in Phra Pra Daeng, Wat Bang Narm Phung, Bangkok. Here are a quick estimate… 8 Kilo of the fish, average at about 25 fish per kilo. So that would be the sum of about 200+ fish on this table! We sure love fish!

While I was at the fish shop buying (obviously) the 8 kilo of the fish, I asked the vendor how did they catch all of these fish? The answer was fish farming. It is amazing how we can farm about everything that we, human, consume. I wonder what have happened to the lifestyle in the past where we had to go hunt in the jungle for meat or the sea for fish. Those days may have not been very easy but it was sure simple.

That was how I was reminded of the photo selected today of a group of fisherman catching fish in the sea.