Luxury in Bangkok

We said goodbye to the train once it finally arrived in Bangkok. After a bit of difficulty trying to find a taxi prepared to do the journey to the hotel on the meter and not for a flat 200 baht, we reached the Shangri-La to discover that they had upgraded us to a Riverside Executive Suite at no extra charge. Very nice!
We took a quick wander up and down the road looking for something to eat and drink; the streets still full of hustle and bustle despite the late hour.
For Sunday we had 2 excursions booked and we were duly ready and waiting for the first at 07:30. We were collected and swept away by our guide and driver. It was only when we were racing out of the city, back to the River Kwai I believe, that Wanna, our guide got a phone call from her colleague telling her that the old dears she had picked up were not the Mr & Mrs Moore she was supposed to have. There followed some hasty discussions in Thai between Wanna, her colleague and the driver, we changed course and the trip was back on track. I don't know how much our eventual day differed from what we'd booked originally, but it turned out to be the best so far.
First port of call was the train market which sprawls across the local railway line. Five times a day, as the train comes through, the stall holders move back, the awnings are lifted and the people breathe in. The train passes and immediately everything is back in place and life goes on as if there had never been a train.
Thakha was next, a floating market and smallest of the 3 we were to see. A boat ride along the canals took us to a small family sugar plant in the jungle where granny fed dried palm fronds into the fire under the bamboo pots of boiling sugar and caramel and the kids also involved keeping things running.
Damnoensaduk was our next port of call; a bigger market but more commercial and less interesting. This was where we took another boat for a longer ride along the canals and then out into the river before dropping us off at Amphawa, the biggest floating market of all.
We had a brief look round the local temple at Amphawa before we finally sat down for a late lunch.
More food in the evening as we had booked a dinner cruise on the river. This left from the Anantara Hotel and pottered gently up the Chao Phraya River and back whilst we ate a 5 course Thai meal. Another delightful winter evening!