I am Pam Holland

I had a day of ‘no work’ yesterday.

I know I shouldn’t feel guilty at sitting on the chair and watching TV, but I do. It’s probably my major work in progress the Bayeux working my subconscious.

I did go to our weekly breakfast with siblings and friends.

Finished the shopping for the week ahead and stocked up on some essentials for travel in Thailand, Africa and Guatemala. I have a standard list. Most of the things don’t get used, but they are darned handy if you are away from  the familiar.

Cold and flu tablets, antibiotics, stomach upset pills, pain pills, small pocket first aid kit and vitamins.

Just about to pack for Thailand and I thought I would share a few videos and images of things I photographed last time.

These videos were shot on the same day.

A boat ride out into the mud flats, mangroves and shallows of the Gulf of Thailand  was one of the highlights of our trip to Bangkok.

It’s a huge expanse of water fringed by river fingers of mangroves. Monkeys live in the leafy green hosts of the trees, they dig for cockles and crabs and love the bananas and fruit given to them by locals and tourists.
The glass like water extends  as far as you can see.
Poles with pale blue flags of sheer fabric dictate the boundaries of a cockle farmers plot. Yes, they own the water.
Its surreal in a way, as you can see by this photo it was overcast and a little grey and the horizon blended with the ocean.
Buildings, old and new rise from the ocean and it looks bizarre to see so many houses out in bare ocean. They are not lived in houses, but are there for the plot owners to keep a watch on their valuable bounty overnight.
I would love to sleep out there… can you imagine how beautiful it would be at sunset and sunrise?  Then lunch in one of the houses on stilts… it just doesn’t get any better than that.        As for the Monkeys… well I guess I will let the video tell the story.
Armed with two huge bags of mangoes and bananas we took off down into the mangroves and this was the result.We visited a local market in Samutsongkram about an hour out of Bangkok and then spent the rest of the day on the delta of the Gulf of Thailand which included a trip through the mangroves to feed the wild monkeys.

They were all re-visits which means we had done on the same trip a few years ago, but armed with new knowledge we were much better prepared.

The train market.

Passenger trains have passed through an incredibly busy market 8 times a day for almost 30 years…
Lily, our guide explained that the market is overflowing and there is no more room for vendors, so when some enterprising folk saw that the space by the train line was free, they gradually put their stalls right next to the line. As the train arrives, the produce is lifted or rolled back like a well coordinated race team the canopies are removed and the train passes through. Within a few minutes products are put back in place and the overhead canvas is unfurled, it’s an incredible sight. The train actually passes over the produce…. OK, I’m not going to buy any of it… but its the way it is….