I miss going to church. That’s all. It’s just something on my mind. I miss singing, worshipping, and being with other people. Knowing I can pray and worship any place, any time is so comforting and freeing for me but I still miss being in a church.
Oh, look a chameleon in the bathroom on the wall. Alright, this little guy can live with us, though, he is a bit skittish and unpredictable. Which way is he going to go? Up the wall, down the wall? Just so he’s always headed away from me, I don’t care.
Our snacks, in a knotted plastic bag, hung on a hook above Andy’s bed last night. We knew we couldn’t leave them on the floor but apparently, we can’t hang them on the wall either. Look, ever so closely and there they are. Tiny, tiny ants. A trail of hundreds of them from a small hole in the corner of the ceiling and walls, going to our bag and hundreds of them in the plastic bag. We carefully removed the bag and quickly took it outside to throw away in a bin on our way out to the market.
This morning we board the local bus number 3 to the 15,000 stalls of, Chatuchak Weekend Market. It is the largest market in Thailand and we planned part of our trip around this fantastic place. This is the perfect time to shop because up until now we’ve been carrying only our backpacks. We didn’t want to do much shopping before because we’d have to carry it on our backs. My backpack is heavy enough. Now we can buy another suitcase, bag or box to take our souvenirs and gifts back home. Let the shopping begin!
All-day we shopped, took in all of the sights, sounds, and aromas. Travel tip: Let it go. The first morsel I ate at the market was an egg roll and drank a smoothie. The egg roll was served on half of a hamburger size clamshell polystyrene container. That’s resourceful. It wasn’t the best as it was way too greasy.
A bit later I also tried a popsicle. I couldn’t believe I could find a ready-made popsicle in this heat but with this unique set-up, it’s possible. Whoa, sweet but refreshing.
It was about an hour when I wasn’t feeling well. Fortunately, before I left on this adventure, I got a prescription medicine for a case like this. I haven’t needed it before but I can tell I’ll be in the bathroom all day if I don’t take drastic measures. I’m not sure what made me sick. Maybe the water from the popsicle? Maybe the egg roll? It doesn’t matter, I decided to have bottled water for the rest of the day. Happily, doesn’t take long to feel better. The shopping continues.
You can find everything you would ever want here. There’s booth after booth of wares to look at or to buy but which booth has the best price? I made this mistake a couple of times. I didn’t buy it and after researching some other places for the best price on the same item, the first booth is the best place to buy it. Well, good luck with finding that booth again! Andy’s getting irritated, can’t blame him. Travel tip: In a place like this barter and buy if it’s the price you’re willing to pay. Don’t plan on going back to the booth. One, you may not find the booth again. Two, shop keepers own more than one booth, so the prices are the same. Three, the item you wanted may be gone. You’re not the only one shopping. Four, do you love it? If you did you would probably buy it the first time. Five, it is exhausting enough, don’t make the same mistake I did and double the work by trying to find the “first” place. It’s hot. There’s no place to sit unless you buy something to eat. And we’re tired. We enjoyed the experience of the incredible Chatuchak Weekend Market for seven hours. Now, we decided to take the light rail to an upscale mall just to get out of the heat and humidity.
My journal notes, that the day began to disintegrate from there. Too much shopping, too much indecisiveness, too much walking around looking for who knows what, too much sun, too sweaty and dog tired. After eating at the mall food court, resting and being out of the sun things get brighter. This is the first food court I’ve come across that has a central payment center. You decide how much money to put on your card and use the card to pay for your food at whatever vender you visit. If you have additional money on your card, you can get a refund. That’s an important fact for us to know since this is a one-time visit. Clever system.
We’re back in our guesthouse at 8:30 pm. Shower, rest and show-off our purchases.
