Tuesday, 13 January 2015

so many markets!

Chiang Mai is full of markets. The huge night bazaar is constructed every night and every Saturday and Sunday the walking markets offer their goods to tourists and locals alike. I managed to get there just as the stall owners had finished setting up but it soon got busy! There was really so much on offer I could have bought suitcases full of trinkets and eaten tons of delicious thai food. I tried the local dish, kow soi, for dinner and that was delicious. A noodle dish in a thai curry sauce with chicken. Yum!
I found a fruit stall that sells muesli and yoghurt at another small market so went there for breakfast this morning before going to the visa office. I got chatting to the only other foreigner there who was an 81 year old grandpa escaping the cold in Canada.  We had a lovely chat about travelling as we enjoyed our muesli. He told me a funny story about a Thai man he met with the name pum pui. Apparently his name means 'fat belly', which was what he had when he was born so they called him that! I think Thai people have a wicked sense of humour!
Getting my visa extension for my yoga course was also an experience. As I arrived 30 minutes early thinking I'd beat the crowd,  it was full and there were also two white monks. I sat behind them and eavesdropped, finding out that one was German and the other Russian. I have never seen European Buddhist monks before and it was quite strange.  Totally shaved eyebrows and heads.
I have met a lot of french people in Chiang mai and I am looking forward to meeting more at my next destination, Pai.



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