I ate a cricket!!!!!

Bangkok, Thailand, 11.03.2016

Today started at the crack of dawn as I headed outside of Bangkok for the famous floating market of Damnoen Saduak. Houses on stilts, dodgy looking boats that make you question how they are still floating, foreign smells of cooking food and brightly coloured stalls. What a way to start my trip!

Our tour started on a motorised long boat in order to get to the market. Half way there our boat decided to breakdown confirming my thoughts about the dodgy looking boats. So there we were bobbing around for a good 20 minutes in the middle of a residential part of the river, while the Thai man fiddled about and fixed the engine. This gave us an opportunity to really see into people’s homes, and by god today has made me grateful for what I have. The way these people live genuinely shocked me. Their houses were almost shanty like and run down to the point you wouldn’t believe that people actually lived there. Lesson number one - you are pretty well off Sam so don’t you ever moan about being skint again!

Anyway, eventually we got moving and made our way to the market where I boarded another boat to explore the waters. This one didn’t have an engine and was maneuvered via a guy with a very long pole. It was almost like playing water bumper cars! Boats were crashing into one another left right and center, stall vendors were shouting out to you to get you to buy, tourists were waving selfie sticks around - it was mental, but lots of fun and a wonderful experience. I have to say, my haggling skills are still on form as I managed to grab myself a nice little bargain. Even the Americans in my boat said I was good at it and asked me to haggle for them! Haha

After the boat I wandered around the land part of the market and bought a few bits and bobs. I tasted a few weird looking fruits which I have forgotten the names of and bought a pork thing on a stick, which was DELICIOUS but far too fatty. But all in all it was a good trip and an experience I will definitely remember.

Am so glad I booked this tour before I arrived. Was nice to get to my hotel last night after a long flight and know I had an itinerary in place. The jet lag has started to kick in too, so in order to keep myself awake, upon my return to the hotel at 2pm I freshened up and headed out for China town...

Now China town is crazy! It’s a maze of alleyways with street vendors selling absolutely EVERYTHING. From toilet rolls, to hello kitty merchandise, to freshly cooked food, to jewellery.

I tried another meat on a stick thing - this time chicken. It was disgusting!!!!!!! It will no doubt give me the squits later as I don’t even think it was chicken. It had a really weird texture so my gut instinct was smile politely, move on and chuck it! So I did exactly that and spat it out after only one mouthful - it was that rank!!!

Ooo and I ate a cricket!! A Chilean couple were toying with the idea of eating one, so I piped up (as I do) and told them to just get on with it. To which they dared me to do it instead.
So I did - down in one!
It actually isn’t too bad! I might try a cockroach later....

Not too sure what i’m doing tonight, I have another early start tomorrow so I doubt I’ll be out late. Will probably just find some food, get a tuk tuk to another area and wander around until I find a bar or try find a massage place. Talking of which, I saw a sign for massage in Bangkok's china town and walked in to inquire about prices. The ladies started laughing and explained they are hotel massage only.... So basically I've just walked into a brothel and asked them how much! haha

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