Putting trust to the test

After disembarking from the train this morning (only 3 hours late), I found myself swept up in the enthusiasm of train travel and decided to make my way to a market I had been dreaming of. But I decided to do it the scenic way (read: slow and complicated).

So I only had the vaguest idea of what to do, where to go, and whether my timing even made sense.

It was either the train fatigue or this year's theme, but either way, I found myself stumbling blindly to the floating market at Amphawa, hoping to god I could figure out the homestay deals I had heard about, and trailing my increasingly heavy backpack behind me.

The rest of the day worked out well, but I was a little freaked out when I got here. Not only were no homestays forthcoming, but I couldn't even find the canals. I did, eventually, with a little help, but everyone I asked about homestays would shake their heads sadly and say, oh no. You should have booked that at least two weeks ago.

So discouraged and disheartened, I went up to a woman and said "homestay?" while simultaneously making the universal sign for sleep. She hooked me up with a guy who led me around and failed to get me a room for 1,500 but succeeded in getting me a room for less than half.

Total train and ferry fare: 23 baht.
Homestay in a funny little bunker: 600 baht.
The kindness of strangers: priceless.