After our tour of the wetlands we had a chance to tour the small fishing village that makes a living from the natural resources found in and around the water.

Here you can see a back ‘alley’ of the village, which is, in part, built on top of the creeks and streams that feed into the wetland.

Here some reeds are drying in the sun. They’ll be woven into mats and taken to nearby towns to be sold.

A fresh catch drying…

Jackfruit fresh on the tree… not quite ready to be harvested.

Some dried reeds being made into the beautiful mats that are commonly found in Thai markets.

Chilies drying in the sun… a favorite ingredient in Thai food.

I decided to try a local snack. Fish eggs pressed into a patty and then fried. They were excellent. For 10 Baht (US 25 cents) I got six patties. I ate them all!

It was time to load back into the vans and head to our next destination. I was astounded by the number of products they offered which came directly from the adjacent wetlands. I was glad to have witnessed this small town Thai culture. I can’t begin to describe how happy I am that they are able to preserve their way of life and the local natural resources.

It had been an excellent day.

On the way out I noticed this lizard sitting on a post. Then I saw the plastic alligator in the background. HA!

Next Stop.. Pak Meng..