Okay, so yesterday we had our final weekend here with our families, and they kind of decided to make it a day of fun...and I'm not complaining!  It was a busy day, but when we set out in the morning I didn't know any of the plans beyond going to the Wat!
After Wat Ba Lai Lie we got back in the truck, and I'll blame my poor sense of direction on the fact that it was a little bit before I realized we weren't going straight back home!  Nope, first we went to the aquarium!  Now, aquariums generally have fish, and because I've been to the Monteray Bay Aquarium I'm a little spoiled, but this aquarium also had a walk-through crocodile park, which was super cool!
But the fun didn't stop there, oh no!  We had some lunch (Som tam, that green papaya salad I love!) and then we hit the market!  However, we didn't go to any old da-laadt, we went to Samchuk, da-laadt roi bpii (Samchuk, market 100 year)!  I’m super glad I got to see this before leaving the area, it’s a place that for 100 years there has been a market, and it’s really cool.  Like Pike Place the street itself is old, and here there is a deep gutter that you need to watch out for as you look at the k’nomes to the right and left.  Man, there are so, so, so many things to see, smell and taste at this market!  I’m glad I got some non-edible reminders of my trip!  There are tons of toys and stickers, cute handicrafts and souvenirs of all kinds, and everything you can imagine just rolling through the already congested street.  There are more stall-like vendors than shops, and barrows or bikes selling even more treats (unripe tamarind, raw meat being ferried to a shop, meat being fried as it rolls along, nuts and nut confections being sold from the back of a bike) as well as motorbikes carrying people just rolling through periodically.  My point is that there’s tons to look at at Samchuk, and I totally want to go back.  Between the shoes, musicians playing traditional Thai instruments, fried treats, toys (off-brand legos, barbies, my little horse and Disney stuff), kitchen utensils, fish raw, fried, salted and dried, coconut desserts and everything else, you hardly noticed the heat until the sweat rolling down your back reminded you! 
It was a super fun day, and when we came back we were all hot, tired and sweaty.  I'm so grateful that I got to see so much of Suphanburi, though, and that my family took me around everywhere.  I'm going to miss them a lot!
Jane
3/9/2014 11:48:20 pm

Amazing! These are beautiful photos. I am so thankful for your host family.

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pookie
3/10/2014 01:36:40 am

So totally awesome! I love that photogenic sea turtle, and the fact that you can sound out the words on the signs now! Did you ask pii Lek what your fortune was? What if it was "tomorrow you be hit by rocks!"? Oh, you know what? Since you left, my sense of direction has gotten worse! It's like the universe decided there will always be one of us drivin around lost in the bay area, and since you're gone it's fallen upon me to be that lost sister girl, lol! Love you tons, and let us know as soon as you get an address where you're doing your two years, k?

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    These are the personal opinions of Spook, and do not reflect those of the Peace Corps.

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