Visions of Bangkok........

So after my little investment the other day I decided to go out and capture what I thought were typical Bangkok scenes.... things that Dan and I encounter on an everyday basis that don't really seem all that strange anymore. So we took a bit of a trip down to the Chatuchak weekend markets which are really close to our place. They are just HUGE.... I can't begin to explain how big it is, but in comparison to something that some people might know it's about 5-10 times the size of the Queen Victoria markets in Melbourne. It's really densely packed and really really hot! Think of a tin shed on a really hot day and you might get the idea! Here's Dan parusing some of the Thai silk stalls...

You see heaps of things at the markets... in particular you see a lot of school kids out busking. I'm not sure what the deal is with education in this country, but it seems like a lot of school children rely on their musical talents (or lack thereof) to put themselves through school. It's a bit sad really, and I can only just imagine what kids in Australia would think of this. This little girl was actually really good at playing this xylophone type instrument...

There's plenty of food to sample as you walk around the markets... if you're game. I was dying to come across one of the fried insect sellers at some stage, but alas we were in the wrong section yesterday! This little old lady looks like she's of Burmese descent, and gave me the loveliest toothless grin when she realised I was taking her photo. I didn't want to intrude on her anymore than I felt I did so I gave her a big smile back and moved off...

This next photo is your typical Thai version of fast food. I haven't been game to try anything from stalls like this (one dose of salmonella is enough for anyone!). When you walk past these stalls you either get hit with a really huge dose of smoke inhalation or choked by the smell of spices or chillies.

The markets are really popular with tourists and locals alike and they get really really busy on the weekends. The next few photos show the public transport problems associated with moving so many people.




But within all this madness you sometimes find your pockets of peace.... near the markets there is a big lake where a lot of people go to relax. Even though you can hear the roar of the city happening outside the fences it still seems to be one safe haven of tranquility and reminded me of how lucky we really are as Australians to have so many wide open spaces like this. If you notice on the building in the background of the picture there is a photo of the King. He is so revered here, and I can't imagine Aussies being so enraptured with anyone. He has been quite ill in hospital lately (he is 80 afterall!) and I'm not sure what will happen if/when he passes away.