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28 November
Bangkok
MARK: Woke up 7am, ready to head to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. This is where the locals buy their things, so we expected cheap prices and better quality than Khao San Rd. We weren't disappointed. Jumped on the local bus (503 or 509 buses) @ BAHT16 each and sat back for the 30min ride to the market. When we arrived at the market & jumped off the bus, a local 'farang' (looking like 'wolf man' with long graying hair) and who had clearly arrived in Bangkok in 1962 as a young traveler and just never left, gave us directions for catching the bus back to Khao San and a few tips for the market… including congratulating us on getting there so early as apparently it gets packed by midday with locals!!
The market is huge and spread out over an open expanse of land specific in its purpose for this weekend market and nothing else. Stalls grouped together and are divided by type of products being sold so it's easy to find what you're looking for. Clothing stalls, books shops, silks, handicrafts, food, 2nd hand goods & clothes etc. You will find it here and cheap. We grabbed a map showing a layout of the stalls and began by entering the thickly compacted stalls in the clothing section. Most markets you expect to find the same thing repeated over and over again as you walk from stall to stall. Not here. Surprisingly each stall was quite different to the next one. T-shirt designs were unique from stall to stall. Every type of designer shoe could be purchased - as a copy rip-off of course. We're still in Bangkok let's not forget. These guys love a good rip-off. Before we knew it Kim had purchased new skirts, shirts, T's and bikinis. All before lunch! I wasn't far behind either and sitting down to lunch we counted our cash and discovered we'd spent almost 3500 BAHT!! This is about ฃ70. Not a lot, and when we looked at our bags and what we'd bought, we had actually bought about ฃ300 equivalent of stuff. So not a bad morning. The afternoon followed much the same pattern as the morning and before we knew it, it was late and time to cruise home. This was the first time Kim and I have shopped together without fighting. We both hate to shop normally, but this was different. Maybe it was because things were cheap so we weren't stressed about money? Maybe it was because we actually ATE when we got hungry and didn't try to finish the shopping before eating, which inevitably leads to irritation on a hungry stomach? Dunno - it was a great day out.
Back in Khao San Rd, we shopped some more and even bought another backpack so that we could fit all our new purchases (and presents!) into this bag and leave the bag behind in storage at Shambara Guesthouse. Randomly we bumped into Chris and Andy (the legendary poms we met in Vang Vieng) and after a tower of Chang beer we hit the sack.
KIM: Take Green Market square in the old days. Think std. 5 when mom would drive you through, when parking cost about R10 for the whole day, and wrap skirts and palazzo pants were the fashion and curios that were sold there were actually handmade and not made in china. Ok, so that green market square with all the character and clothes, throw in some of the best artists and their paintings and multiply it all by a good thousand if not more… You have a vague idea. I honestly hate to shop… but this must be how some people feel on Oxford street.
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