Bangkok Transportation System

I was up early and had a very nice breakfast at the hotel. Eggs easy over, bacon, sausage, ham, hash browns, coffee, OJ and 2 slices of toast. All for just 6 dollars. I then set out on the Bangkok Transit System BTS. It was my first experience and it went well except for going by my transfer station two times. It was a good thing I just had to walk down and over to the other line and then vise versa. I did it on purpose to get the switching of lines and learn the system through repeated practice. I has cost me 300 baht using the taxi and the the BTS is 56 baht. 100 baht is equal to $3.33. The BTS is super clean. NO food or drink on the line or it is a 1000 baht fine. It is a very efficient transportation system for the center of Bangkok but it does not extend out of the main part of the city. You have to take a bus or taxi to get to other destinations. I stopped at Siam station on my way home and the grocery store was amazing!!!! Never in my travels have I seen so much fresh fruit in one place. The spiny fruit, Durian, is a controversial fruit. It is a fruit that many say attracts foreigners to come to Thailand. I am including a really fascinating story of this fruit at the end of the blog. Please read it. You will be glad you did. Let's import them!!! The apples shown here are the largest I have seen in my life. They weigh one Kilogram ((2.2 lbs) They are the size of a cantaloupe. I was surprised by this woman who came up to me at the grocery store. She began to whisper sweet nothings in my ear. The were sweet nothings because I do not understand Thai when it is spoken quickly. There was a jumbo tron in the grocery store and this woman and I were broadcast on the screen. She gave me a peck on the cheek and and said my whiskers were rough in Thai. It made many Thai customers laugh but upon checkout I received many smiles. I was caught up in the "heat" of the moment and proceeded to bag two peaches (from Georgia, USA). I did not check the price and upon checkout I found out they were 300 baht, FOR TWO. Luckily they were absolutely awesome. I went back after I paid to see if there was a mistake, but not mistake about it. It very much rivals the 3 dollar Mountain Dew I bought on a cross country bicycle trip in Wyoming. At least I know where the good peaches are but it is a far trip to get them. Many of the peaches we buy in Florida are mealy. I had to pose with the mother of Buddha I am sure that few of you have seen a 4 dollar peach before, so here is what one would look like. A USA peach in Thailand. It must be the shipping cost!! DURING FRUIT---Southeast Asia's most popular fruit, no wonder. I had problems with getting the article to copy but here is the link. Cut and past. goseasia.about.com/od/malaysianculturepeople/a/durian_fruit.htm