Monday Market

You've probaly heard of those legendary Bangkok traffic jams.  Here's a Chiang Mai traffic jam.  It's Monday Market time.

My neighbors Larry, Norman, and Jar walking to the market. 

Entering the market is chaos, but after you've been there a few times you know where to find you favorite things. 

I remember going with my mother to buy groceries.  Looks like it's as boring now as it was then.

My favorite vendor sells sushi for 5 baht each.  I usually buy a dozen from him.  Sushi is exotic and popular food in Thailand so if you want any you have to get there early.

Bargaining for mushrooms. 

Salad anyone?

Shopping for DVD's.  These cost about 40 baht, or slightly more than a dollar.  You have a 50/50 chance that it will work.  There are no refunds. 

Cha Music is slow music - the drippy sweet romantic stuff.  Notice that's it's all girls at this booth. 

You name it; you can probably find it at the market.

If you shoot me with your camera I'll shoot you with my squirt gun...

It's a good bet dad doesn't know about this leaky diaper...should I tell him?

We returned home just before it rained.  This was a gorgeous site but I wasn't good enough to capture the beauty with a camera.  Lucky for us to be there to see it live.

Lucky Shot

I have been wanting to take this photo for months but the water is usually murky brown.  Today was my lucky day.

A few things you aren't likely to see in the US

Northern Thailand is a dream come true for coffee lovers.  If you can zoom in on the picture you'll see that this is a very complete coffee menu.  Never mind that it's on a lonesome stretch on highway between Tak and Kampang Phet, which is similar to Hwy 395 in California between Lone Pine and Bridgeport.
The espresso was sooooo good that I had a second cup. 

I was hungry when I arrived in Kampang Phet.  There was a shopping mall near my guesthouse so I took a stroll looking for something to eat.  I found this place where all you have to do is point to the pictures, and the waitress will enter your selection into her hand-held computer, which transmits the order to the kitchen. 

Also at the mall.  I told them my name was Skippy but no one believed me.  But I could still go in if I paid the fee.

So who needs a station wagon?

Oh my Buddha!  Not exactly the ascetic lifestyle for these monks.
Picture taken at Wat Doi Saket.