I was to meet my tour guide for a Mahachai Train Tour at a hostel where I had met her for another tour. Instead of taking a slow taxi ride as I did previously, I went via my hotel boat to the Skytrain station and then walked from there. It is only about 7:15 a.m. but the street is busy already.

I was early enough to see the monks collecting donations.

In exchange for his donation, the man is receiving a blessing from the monk.

A young monk. Some young boys join the monks for as few as 7 days or for much longer for their schooling.

Monks walking to collect donations.

If you go by taxi, you don't get to see the colorful faces of buildings. A walking treat.

More colorful buildings.

A pedestrian street with more vendors.

This vendor is selling bags of donations that you can give to the monks.

This monk is also collecting money in his bucket. Not all monks are older or very young. Most are young men who become monks for a minimum of seven days. Their families receive religious points when they do this. A number of my male tour guides in Asia have at one time been monks. Then they are considered to be better marriage catches as they have learned discipline.

A familar sight: electric wire art.

The hostel is in the building on the right.

Sign inside the hostel: "Did You Know: Thailand is the only country in South East Asia that hadn't been colonized by the Europeans. It is illegal to leave your house without a shirt or without wearing underpants., etc."

I was the only one on the tour, but this time the tour required two people on it, so I had to pay double. I am now on the Skytrain with my guide. What you can see from the Skytrain.

Close-up of the top of the temple.

We got off the Skytrain and had a very long walk at the station to get to the street. From the street, we took a taxi for the last mile to the Wong Wain Yai train station.

Many vendors at the station.

Also, small restaurants.

The train is arriving.

Inside the train. It was already getting very hot and very humid. Actually, it was the only weather-uncomfortable day on my entire trip.

Leaving Bangkok on our way to Mahachai.

Fields.

At a station. Transporting young children on motorscooters is a common sight in Southeast Asia.

Even children as young as this.

Two storks seen from the train.

Houses by the train tracks.

A coconut tree.

Modern houses.

A pretty country scene.

Trees reflected in the water.

Passing a village.

More trackside houses.

We have reached Mahachai on the Bay of Thailand after about an hour and visited one of the largest seafood markets in Thailand. The train line was originally built to take seafood to Bangkok.

Many fish.

More fish.

Something dried.

Squid?

Crabs and more fish.

Close-up of the crabs. 590 baht equals US$16.78. Maybe they are being sold by the kilo?

More fish.

Eels.

Prepared food.

Cutting up a food to make patties.

The train does not run through this market though the train tracks remain. My guide is on the left. Vegetables are also sold at the market.

All kinds of vegetables for sale.

This is a seasoning that you add to dishes.

You can buy it in bulk or in jars.

More fish.

If you don't want to buy a whole fish, you can buy fish bones.

Stingray?

The most unusual fish for sale--some kind of shark.

Large crabs.

I don't know what these are but there were a lot of them.

Close-up.

Pink eggs also for sale.

We ate lunch in this building.

Painting of the King and Queen of Thailand in the restaurant.

Inside the restaurant.

We had a pepper shrimp dish and cashew chicken. The first was tasty but the second one was oh so good.

View from the restaurant--the flag of Thailand.

Another view from the restaurant.

We next took a minivan to cross the Tha Chin River.

Seen from the minivan.

Seen from the minivan.

Now we are in Mae Klong.

This is where the Rom Hub--the Folding Umbrella Market--is. Right now, the train is not running through the market, but when it does, it travels right through the market.

When the train comes, the vendors have only a few minutes to take their umbrellas and shades down and to remove their wares from the tracks. There are movies on YouTube showing this.

More of the market.

From Mae Klong, we took a long baht bus ride to the Amphawa Floating Market.

The Amphawa Floating Market is a weekend-only event.

Vendors both cook and serve food from their boats.

A feast is being offered by this boat.

The feast.

People chose their meal and eat at tables on the dock.

Or eat even closer to the water.

A boat with three vendors.

Closer-up of two of the vendors.

Closer-up.

Closer-up.

More food vendors are on the docks. Coconut is being stirred here.

Then packaged.

Crispy mussel for sale.

The crispy mussel.

Also, flavored crispy squid.

Duck eggs.

A gelatin.

Cotton candy.

All kinds of beer.

Product from coconut.

More of the floating market.

A tourist boat.

My tour guide taking a rest.

Many stores are also on the dock.

A cow riding a bicycle.

Also an upscale restaurant.

My snack. Actually, these were tiny cones that you order five in a bunch. Very good ice cream.

We next took a minivan back to Bangkok, a ride I did not like as the driver was both speeding and changing lanes way too often. The minivan was crowded as well. Minivans are an alternate form of transportation between places, sometimes for long distances. Photo: coming into Bangkok..

Crossing the Rama VIII Bridge.

And later back in my hotel watching the sun set.