A walk in the streets of Bangkok

What was I thinking during all of this? "The road is half as wide, twice as crowded and people just walk anywhere". This, from my detailed daily journal. That statement applies to just about each and every minute of my trip other than the times I was in my room or sleeping. Most of Thailand is simply crowded.

On that day, we took a light rail from near our hotel to one of the largest outdoor markets in Bangkok. I've heard of "the gap" in London on similar transportation devices, but had no idea that it applied to the Bangkok light rail.

Once there, I was intrigued. It was again crowded, but under the cover of a tarp for the entire market, which was huge, maybe a football field or more? There was a small space for each shop, probably about the size and feel, actually of a mini storage unit. Actually, they are all exactly like little garage storage units, as you can see from this picture.






As you walk through, people talk to you in English (the best sellers are very fluent in English), there is music playing, mostly Thai, and so much to see as you walk through, because each shop is so small. Here is a video I took while walking. I apologize for the blurriness, it's the best I could do at the time.

Some interesting points from the market?

There were many shoes which I can only guess are traditional Thai style.

Sorry, I'm not sure why the second one posted on its side. I was unable to configure it correctly, even though it is correct on my computer.

Have you ever seen a bookstore quite like this?















Or an art gallery this crowded?














Or silverware that looks like bamboo?












This may be the youngest street performer I have seen in my life. I was disheartened that this is the way things are for some Thai children, but I found throughout my experience that the children are expected to do quite a bit to help the parents. This is simply the culture. I later learned that it goes to the extreme of the children serving the adults on a regular basis. You need something carried? Ask one of the students to do it. You don't want to walk in the rain? Ask a student to carry an umbrella over you as you walk along. You want dinner served and waiting for you when you come down for dinner? A student will do that for you too. I was a little uncomfortable with this, actually, and never really got used to it.

As I read the lines I wrote later that day (actually, it was 4 am the next morning during my extended inability to sleep past 3 am), I remember some of the events and thoughts from that day. During my very first market purchase, a woman took my picture. She was less than discreet about it as well, but I figured I was taking so many pictures of people there, I coudn't blame them. I'm different.

I couldn't help but think about how simple life is there. You make a product with your own two hands and skills, you sell it and you use the money to live. No receipts, no paperwork, I'm guessing there isn't much to do with taxes, just exchanging money for goods. As much money as the buyer and seller both agree on. Most of the sellers were not always working on their goods. Most sat or even lay there with a fan on them, and some even had air conditioning behind closed glass doors. I had much more respect and incentive to buy from those who worked all day on new products while finished ones hung in their doors and windows. I like for there to be a story and a feeling behind something in such a foreign place.

Another thought that was running through my head, of course, was the global impact that this country has on the world. I even began making a list of things they they do vs. the U.S. It included things like wrapping things in banana leaves, less people using cars and more people walking and biking, no receipts, etc. There are of course, things that make them less friendly as well, but overall, it seems that the impact is less. Or maybe just different? One has to take into account the fact that the population per capita is much larger than we are used to.

Overall, an enchanting and tiring day. I remember my body crashing on me by 5 p.m. that night. The fact that I couldn't stay up past 8 p.m. might have something to do with why I was up at 3 a.m. I'm glad my sleep patterns weren't this bad once I got back to America. This was a rough few days for me. The next day's events? Off to see Ko Kret Island and the best thing of all in Bangkok, The Grand Palace.