Post 365: Talad Hoob Rom, Maeklong, Samut Songkram, Thailand .. Market of Closing Umbrellas

You can only have so much fun cleaning and recovering from floods ... not to mention the stench of festering stagnation that still lingers in the air ... you sort of get used to it ... but a break from it is good. I jumped onto a mini bus at Bangkok's Victory Monument .. destination Samut Songkram (I think), price 60 Thai Baht (£2). Mini bus driver are like Jenson Button, but without the safety record ... it was a very swift journey.

There are several good reasons to visit Samut Songkram, and the first reason is 'Talad Hoob Rom' .. the Market of Closing Umbrellas....

Initially it looks like any other market in Thailand ... hot, busy and fragrant. The produce, mostly fresh fish, meats and vegetables, is laid out on any available space and sheltered from the burning sun by large canopies ...... it's only the pathway between the long narrow line of stalls that gives a clue as to the infamy of this particular market ...  

Fresh fish of all varieties .. spices and herbs ... meats that attract a million flies and market traders that seem genuinely happy in their work .....

It's busy .... but all markets in Thailand are busy. Food shopping is a daily activity, a big part of the ritual of family dining. Nobody has any space, but nobody is in a hurry ..... shopping this way is unlike Tesco or Walmart ..... shopping Thai style is an event in itself ....

And then a distant whistle blows ... the market traders become busy. Tables of produce are magically rolled back into the rear of each store ... the tables are on metal wheels that in turn run on metal rails. Produce displayed on the ground remains where it is ...... the canopies are quickly pulled back and sunlight floods into the market. Anxious traders wave at the non-locals to take cover ...... and the rumble of the train moves closer ...

With less than inches and seconds to spare, the train rumbles past ..... driver smiling in the front window. Eight trains per day run into the station at Mae Khlong .... and then return ... so this is a process that takes place sixteen times per day .... three hundred and sixty five days a year. Nobody gets hurt ... not even close .... a perfect example of Driver, Trader and Customer working in harmony to make productive use of an otherwise barren area ..... It is in a word .. 'Amazing'