After breakfast, while enjoying my morning coffee, I began to peruse a guest information card provided by the hotel:
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| Hotel "safety tips" card... Mundain should have read this on arrival! |
MR. LAO!!! MR. LAO!!! MR. LAO!!! You got me good! Thank you for reminding me that if something looks too good to be true, then it probably is!
The hotel info card described exactly the scam Mr. Lao pulled on us. Realizing that the Mundain had been outwitted (not difficult), I rushed to Google "James Tailor Bangkok" hoping not to confirm what my heart already knew..."SUCKER"...
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| alas...the James Tailor scam is well documented on the web |
Attempts to have the transaction voided by MasterCard proved futile since the mundane one willingly signed. Mundain had made his bed and now he would have to lie in it.
In order to make the best of a bad situation, I decided that I was going to play it cool at the scheduled 3 o'clock fitting...feigning ignorance of their scheme, in hope of at least getting a suit that fit.
In order to make the best of a bad situation, I decided that I was going to play it cool at the scheduled 3 o'clock fitting...feigning ignorance of their scheme, in hope of at least getting a suit that fit.
In the meantime, I tried to put all thoughts of James Tailor out of my mind and was determined to enjoy our pre-booked excursions as we boarded the tour bus at 7am, bound for the Floating Market.
After two hours on the road, picking up other tourists, dropping some off at different venues, then picking up other batches, we realized that a 30 minute trip could turn into hours. Efficiency and effectiveness for the tour company trumps customer convenience and satisfaction.
It was almost 10 a.m. before we arrived at the bustling Floating Market. Here, we were supposed to observe and/or buy from local Thais peddling from boats, their handicrafts, produce, catches from the river, and foods cooked on board floating kitchens.
The market was sure busy...with TOURISTS like me; nary a local Thai in sight except for tour guides, drivers, and boat peddlers.
Wait a minute...is this another tourist trap? Why is the canal packed on both sides with shops offering "made in China" Thai trinkets and souvenirs?
After two hours on the road, picking up other tourists, dropping some off at different venues, then picking up other batches, we realized that a 30 minute trip could turn into hours. Efficiency and effectiveness for the tour company trumps customer convenience and satisfaction.
It was almost 10 a.m. before we arrived at the bustling Floating Market. Here, we were supposed to observe and/or buy from local Thais peddling from boats, their handicrafts, produce, catches from the river, and foods cooked on board floating kitchens.
The market was sure busy...with TOURISTS like me; nary a local Thai in sight except for tour guides, drivers, and boat peddlers.
Wait a minute...is this another tourist trap? Why is the canal packed on both sides with shops offering "made in China" Thai trinkets and souvenirs?
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| you can rent a boat just like in Venice... except the water is cleaner...in Bangkok |
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| boat vendors being observed by sociologists (top left) |
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| Dried fish, shrimps, bean paste |
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| Packaged goods and made-in-China trinkets and souvenirs |
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| a floating kitchen...place your order from ship or shore |
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| green mango boat drifting by a yellow mango boat |
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| floating noodle shop...bowls, chopsticks, spoons washed in buckets of river water |
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| fruit stall offering starfruit, mangoes, rambutan, mangosteen, green mangoes... |
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| ...competes with a floating fruit stand |
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| lost snake charmers... confusing a carnival with the Floating Market |
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| python scarf, anyone??? |
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| ...feeding time at the zoo... |
With the feeding trough closed, we cattle were herded back to the bus and shipped to our next destination...the once famous Rose Garden.
If you haven't heard of the Rose Garden, you are not alone...neither have the locals nor my fellow tourists...who stayed away in droves.
The grounds and pavilions were devoid of visitors. We stood in front of a silk thread making display for a minute or two before a disinterested actor grudgingly unwound a strand of silk each from three silkworm pupas to make a single thread. When the thread reached 6 inches long, she abruptly resumed what she had been doing prior to our arrival...which was nothing. Demonstration over.
As a tourist attraction, this venue surely passed its heyday of 20 years ago. Bored staff outnumbered paying customers by two or three to one; the main attraction was three bored elephants and their equally bored trainers.
It appeared to the Mundain one that revenue was so scarce the trainers had to resort to offering 2 minute elephant rides.
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| ...ride me, $3... |
To add further insult, there were NO ROSES in the Rose Garden. As a tourist distraction, this venue was probably the inspiration for the hit song aptly titled..."I Never Promised You A Rose Garden"
But, in the end, it was a worthwhile experience because we were treated to a cultural performance that highlighted Muay Thai boxing, Thai martial arts, and traditional song and dance plus this...
Oh, and by the way, that 3 o'clock fitting at James Tailor went much better than expected...everything looks much better through ROSE colored glasses!
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