Sunday Night Walking Street Market

This is one of the reasons I love Chiang Mai. The Sunday Night Walking Street Market is my favorite market in SE Asia. Most markets have the same kinda things; jewelry, textiles, bags, clothes and all kinds of little trinkets. The SNWSM has all those things but also has interesting things I've not seen anywhere else in SE Asia (by that I mean Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and of course all of Thailand).

N and I had planned our day around this market. After the mtg we would go to some fabric shops (for her curtains) and then go to the SNWSM. My first mistake was forgetting my money and my chapstick this morning (chapstick is especially important when using a motor bike). Doh!!! But N had cash so it was ok. We ended up getting carried away at the fabric store (see photo below of N loaded down Thai style on her bike). The plan was for her to take the fabric back to the house, I would pick up some curtain rings and we'd meet back up for the night market (and she could bring me my money and chapstick).

The old "I'm home now and don't feel like going back out" settled into N's mind and I was on my own...without my cash! Doh! And with dry lips...Doh! I had about 1200 baht on me ($36). Not sure how far it'd get me but I was not going to miss the market.

I started out "arrrrrrrrghhhhhh...how could I forget my money and my chapstick and why are there so many people in my way!!! arrrrrrgghhhhh" (the market was very crowded-dang farangs!) I come across a lady selling natural lotions and (drum roll please) CHAPSTICK. But it's 40 baht (the equivalent of 4 necklaces). Hmmmmm. I couldn't go through with it, my lips would make the sacrifice. A few minutes later (and 2 purchases later) I stumbled upon another natural products stand. More chapstick! 75 baht?! But wait...there's a sample. Woohoo! Soft, moist lips for free.

My mood is improving with each purchase and pretty soon I'm laughing out loud at my success. I found the same place I'd been to my first time here 4 years ago, and every year since, to stop and have a drink (a Beer Lao Dark, never seen that before!!!) That's always the time I look over the things I've bought and count up how much I have left.

My night ended with a Mike's Cheeseburger (the best in CM) and 40 baht to spare, only because I forgot about it, could've bought that chaptick.