Christmas is getting nearer,

better find the turkey!

also we want to buy a few presents so off to Soi Bukoaw market,

as you go into the main part of the market, there is a stall selling spicy food, it makes your water as you go past,

on the other side of the isle fresh salads, shoes galore,

I mentioned to Diana last year we would go to the gold shop and I would buy her a gold necklace for her Christmas present, alas she knows this was not a real gold shop!

meanwhile my belt buckle had broken so a new belt was needed, 2 for 99 baht,

on the way out we spotted some fresh plums, a bit expensive at 120 baht a kilo, we bought 5 or 6, about half a kilo, quite nice they were too,

then into Friendship for the turkey and Christmas wine, the bike was more than fully loaded,

on both sides!

then to the real gold shop, Diana knows to much!

a very happy Diana,

but of course she now wants to wear it before Christmas,

she wanted a love heart on it to match last years bracelet, so I am 1 baht of gold poorer, my poor wallet, I think I will have to lie down!

then on to the night market, for a few more presents,

whilst there I spotted this, I love bikes especially if they are old and a bit 'different'

at first glance thought being a parallel twin it was a Triumph, but of course it was not the owner must really take his life into his own hands with no front brake out here!

very neat and tidy,

notice the drag race air change gearshift, as to what it is I think it is a Yamaha, but I am not very well up on Japanese bikes, nice though,

I was now at the other end of the market, so time to make my way back to the pet and plant section,

more belts but I had already bought 2,

new for this week a fishing tackle stall,

with rods, reels and all the bits you need,

now into the fish bit the boss strikes the pose,

and some Christmas flowers to brighten the place up,

snail shell pots, they are a freshwater snail Ampullaria gigas, if ever you have been near water in the tropics and seen a pink cluster of small round eggs they are theirs, the eggs are laid out of water to stop fish from eating them,

also new this week are some bonsai,

but it is to warm here for the fir tree types that are so popular in Japan, a Christmas cracker bonsai joke, what do you call a bonsai if it gets to big? a tree! boom boom! note to self, do not tell that one again when I am sober!

also at this end of the market is the market shrine,

many of the stall holders came over with offerings whilst I was there,

a small purchase for a present,

then we meet up with Mike and Riza,

and of course had a couple of beers,

we also said Hi and wished a Merry Christmas to Sai Jai, Diana also gave her a present,

again a chorus of 'I want one of those!' as we passed the electric bike stall,

then to the soup stall for our evening meal,

the stall next door looked pretty tasty too,

then back to 388, now the presents under the tree are getting thicker on the ground,

and Riza had present for Diana,

as did Mike and myself, Mark then called round for a cup of tea and a chat,

after they all had left we settled down to watch The Young Ones, Diana just can not stop laughing at their anticts, then off to bed.