Bangkok II
It is great to be back in a familiar place. We came back to once again use Bangkok for its amazing Chabad House and as a travel hub to the Islands in the South. But another reason we came back was to be able to go to the market of all markets – Chatuchak weekend market.
We first learned about this market from our friends from Singapore while in Kaziranga. They told us that they make a couple of trips every year to Bangkok specifically to go to this market. Why? Because it sells everything. That seems like an exaggeration or hyperbole – how can one market sell everything? Well that is the beauty of Chatuchak.
Danna came down with a bit of a cold in Cambodia so it was nice to have some chicken soup and other good food from Chabad. She actually had a slight fever and we made a rule that if either of us ever gets a fever in a Malaria zone we would have it checked out immediately. So the first thing we did in Bangkok is go straight to the Hospital of Tropical Diseases for a quick malaria blood test! Fun-Fun. But, one hour later we left the hospital with a negative result (phew) and a little ziploc bag of cough medicine pills.
But, nothing cures a cough like a market with over 9,000 stalls! That's not a typo – at any time this place has over 9,000 merchants selling everything from hand painted converse sneakers to baby rabbits. They hand out maps of this place that show the layout of these never ending warehouse type buildings that are overflowing with merchandise. Overwhelming does not come close to describing the feeling of being dropped off in the middle of this madness. Without a plan most tourists look more like zombies staggering down narrow little alleyways with glazed over eyes not knowing how to react to the sea of clothing, arts and crafts, housewares, flowers, food and amulets (that was an entire warehouse section on the map called amulets – I'm still not sure what they sold in there or what that actually means).
We tried to be smart about it – I felt like I was in a National Lampoon movie. “Look Danna there is that weird wire sculpture of the Predator” - after walking for 25 minutes we would come back and “Look Danna there is that weird wire sculpture of the Predator – is that the same one?”
Danna is my Sherpa of markets. She can always lead the way to find good things and not get lost or tired. I am like the porter of markets – the Sherpa doesn't like to carry things. But, with Danna not feeling 100% even she was not up to the Mt. Everest of markets on this day. We walked around and after a little while we called it a day and went back to our hotel.
It was time to head down to the famous Andaman Coast for some powdery beaches, clear water and beautiful scenery. We booked a short flight to Phuket to start our island hopping in the sun.
