03.16.06
Straight to the Center of the Labyrinth
3/12/06, Chang Mai
Imagine a street at night with vendors set up on either side. Now imagine that the vendors keep going for the whole block. Now make the vendors go for another, and another, and another, make them go as far as your eye can see. You don’t believe it could go that long so you climb an old city wall to get a view from above, and yet it somehow keeps going. Now that you have that image in your head imagine walking four blocks into the labyrinth and realizing that it not only goes on beyond what you were able to see from the wall but continues as far as the eye can see down the side streets as well. That is what the gate night market in Chang Mai looks like.
We walked the market, mainly looking at all the food vendors. In addition to the usual street curries, satay and sausages there were also vendors selling various salads and ice cream. At the first Wat we got a Green Mango salad and had what was supposed to be a pork and fish sausage given to us by a couple from Toronto that were also sampling the local foods. The locals were ordering a bright green drink which I decided to try out. It turned out to be jellied Mung Bean, very sweet and refreshing. Nick then ordered a chunk of bamboo that had been filled with sticky rice and grilled. A few wats down we got some ‘Ancient Ice Cream’, one of cocounut and one of mango and later two popsicles, one Chai and one Lemon. The popcicles were only 2 Baht each and were made of whatever they could freeze, lime juice, strawberry even coca cola. Further down the street I bought a Mango Shake for 20 Baht, then a mango with sticky rice and a Rotee with Milk. Chang Mai is a wonderful place for eating.
Movie of a Thai Boxing match in Chang Mai
I spent a few hours relaxing at a local bar while watching a Thai Boxing match. At first I thought the match was a ‘real’ one as I could hear the hits being taken pretty hard, but a few hits in I realized the fighters were purposely letting some hits in and taking fake falls. Think of it sort of like American Pro Wresting, still very active with some impressive athletics and endurance but a bit choreographed.