New Year's Eve

Following the mangrove activities, we drove 30 minutes to Amphawa, a fishing village that has a little-known floating market… (at least little known to tourists).   We've been coming here on New Year's Eve for the past 6-7 years and we are always the only non-Thai's in town.  So this is a fun, authentic, and uniquely Thai experience.

The floating market has lots of boats below the elevated boardwalks along the sides.  In the boats are locals that cook a wide variety of foods that are handed up to people on the walkways above.

This woman is selling a variety of seafood dishes: prawns, squid, fish, clams, etc.

I always look for my favorite floating market food:  Phad Thai Nachos. Wow… is it good, and only 40 baht!  I'm not sure what makes me stand out from the crowd of Thai's, but they remembered me from previous years.    It must be that I bring him 16 customers at a time.

Natalie, Shae, and Ajarn Wayne each with Phad Thai Nachos on a banana leaf.

Lexie and Macy enjoying theirs.

Soooo much food was out at this market.  Lots of different tropical fruits that you probably have never seen.

Monster prawns.

Lexie and Macy are lighting a floating lantern.  This is customary in the Loy Kratong festival and other holidays in Thailand.  A thin rice paper bag with a flammable ring traps the heat from the flame and rises into the night sky.  It's pretty cool for only 30 baht (95 cents).

And then there is the music.  A large outdoor seating area surrounds the dance floor and stage where a famous (to the Thais) singing group performs.  As always happens, our students get out and cut up the floor.

Raechel and Adam on the left, Shanon and a Thai man on the right. This Thai guy is a great dancer and very polite.  He wai'd our girls after dancing with them.  If you saw last year's blog, he is the same guy who danced with our students then, too.

Here he is dancing with Jordan.

Sook sahn wahn pi mai !