Markets

This afternoon a group went to the largest market in Chiang Mai. There were so many vendors, and it seemed to go on forever. It was mostly for food, but there were a few clothing stalls.

I bought some spices to bring home for mom (so she can make real Thai curry!) and a huge bag of dried mangos for myself. I'm used to buying small bags at Sam's Club for around $8. The giant bag I bought here was $1. We sampled some prepared foods at the market, like mangosteens, Thai pancakes (tastes like tapioca), spring rolls, and coconut ice cream. Oh my god the coconut ice cream. Probably was twice as good since it was so hot. I got a cup full for 45 cents.

There were a few things people were unwilling to try. And some stalls with buckets full of snakes and eels. The bugs were probably the grossest thing we saw. One person did try a small cricket and said it just tasted salty because it was fried. Nobody was willing to eat a cockroach.

The best part about the market was probably the flower area, simply because of the smell. It was so fragrant and calming, compared to the busy food market. People mostly buy flowers as offerings to bring to temples. I bought a small necklace to wear while walking around so I could keep smelling it.

That was really all we did today. The markets are so huge it took all day just to wind our way through the maze. Going to bed early tonight to get ready for filming tomorrow. No elephants for a few more days, we have some interviews and general city footage to get. Goodnight, everyone!