Maeklong market, Amphawa floating market & Wat Baan Kung

For some time I have wanted to visit the famous Maeklong market in Samut Songkram, which is about 40 miles outside of Bangkok.

The market is famous because it has spread over the railway tracks, just by the station.  If you look closely at the photo you can see that the goods are right up to the tracks, the stall's awnings cover the track area and the customers walk along the tracks.
There are only a few trains a day.  When the train arrives at the market area, a siren sounds and the stall holders withdraw their stalls and awnings, and everyone tucks back from the rail.  You can see below that some of the stalls are on tracks, so they can be easily slid back and forth.

To see all this in action, watch here.

If you have trouble viewing it, link through to YouTube http://youtu.be/p_Hf67Mv6ok

While we were walking through the market, I stopped to watch a man climb onto a rickety table to fix his awning.  He kept pointing at something behind me.  I eventually realised he was talking to me and I turned around to see what he was pointing at.  When I saw the snake I jumped out of my skin and behind Alan with a small shriek.  Okay YOU can see that it is a rubber snake, but I didn't look too closely at the time, I thought the man was warning me!  I can tell you that he almost fell off his table, he laughed so hard.

Amphawa floating market, is nearby, so it was an easy visit to tag on.  The market doesn't really get going until late afternoon but at lunchtime, there was still plenty to see.

The floating cafes, all selling seafood from what I could see, were delightful to look at.

The food is cooked in the boats and the customers sit on the steps (to the left of the picture above).   The chefs appear to keep cool by keeping one foot in the water!

Wat Baan Kung was an interesting place to visit and also just a short hop away.  There were not many foreign tourists here.  Boonchi explained that a famous battle in the past was fought here, with Thai soldiers holding off the Burmese invaders.

The beauty of this place is the main part of the temple (I think it is the ordinance hall), which is covered by the roots of a huge banyan tree.  Rather reminiscent I thought, of Siem Reap. I can't believe that I didn't get a photo of the front of this building!!!

This charming little fellow was in one of the window niches.

Inside is a large seated Buddha, which people were covering with squares of gold leaf.  There are also some faded murals on the wall.

From afar, these figures look real as they are life-sized.

 Boonchi explained that each figure shows a move in Thai Kick boxing.

 There may also be a connection to that war, but it was lost on me if there was!

 Boonchi was so caught up with the figures, he demonstrated the tiger move to Alan,

 who retaliated with the two-finger piano playing move!

 Sadly, our last fun day out with Boonchi.