The guide book says it's the largest open air market in the world with over 17,000 vendors. After my first visit, I'm convinced it is the most eclectic--what other market map has sections for fresh food, rice, fighting cocks, animal food, pet clothing, creatures, paintings, garden equipment, books, amulets, clothing and accessories, cooked food, vegetables and fruit, plastic food, instant food, and odds and ends?
Although I absorbed just 1% of all of this, my visit was fascinating. In Chatuchak, East meets West with equal numbers of images of Buddha and Mickey Mouse. Overflowing market stalls create a labyrinth of commerce, often bright in color.
Incredible brass, golden, and wooden sculptures greet shoppers, many guarded to ensure that fa-rangs, or foreigners (like me) don't photograph the precious wares.
Bright silks line the walls of a stall where an artist sits in the middle, creating the next beautiful scarf or sarong.
The Thai elephant appears just a few times more than the Statue of Liberty.
And English print is nearly as common as Thai script.
Kitchen wares are not in short supply. If you want to decorate with flowers, there are more than I could imagine.
If you are looking for a t-shirt (which fa-rongs will sweat through immediately, so go for dark colors), don't fret, you can find any t-shirt your heart desires.
The clock tower is the best landmark to orient yourself in this village of commerce.
My favorite navigator ensured that I didn't walk in just circles and helped us find a wok so we could start cooking at home.
While exploring, hydration and snacking are a must. Rose water, dragon fruit, and mango sticky rice are delicious options. Vanilla ice cream with bananas in a waffle cup was my favorite, reminding me of banana cream pie!
A water taxi and a ride on the sky train got us to the market for 128 baht round trip (about $4.25) and afforded us quite contrasting sights, smells, and temperatures--and allowed us to cover many miles in not too much time.
On the way home I enjoyed the water taxi ride and my new hat, while I started making a mental list of what I want to search for next time.
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