Chiang Mai Local Market

Early the next morning I walked to the local market. Unlike the Night Bazaar, this one was very non-touristy. Fresh flowers lined the outer rows of the market, attracting customers with brilliant colors, large sizes, quantity, and pleasant scent. Some of the freshly cut flower bunches were wrapped in newspaper. Orchids were bundled in large quantities, moisture still glistening on the petals and leaves. Others such as the lotuses were individually wrapped. Some stalls had beautiful, large floral arrangements and sprays ready for special events or places.

Once inside, different aisles were reserved for produce such as tropical fruit, veggies, and coconut. One stall worker carefully stacked individual strawberries, one on top of another. Women hacked at chicken meat. For pork lovers, one could buy slices, a pig’s head, or bags of pig organs. Seafood including fish, crabs, and prawns were laid out over crushed ice. Some buckets contained finless critters still wriggling in water. Dried fish was pressed together in a neat flat bundle. Snacks of the packaged sort and freshly fried were available, including some waffles which looked rather tasty. In other sections, one could buy cheap clothing, long streamers for temples, incense, fireworks, and stationery. Spongebob, Barbie, and Hello Kitty adorned schoolbags hung from above. Pots and pans were piled high, glistening in the fluorescent lights. For those wanting a bit more glitz, cheap-looking figurines of blinking Hindu gods and Buddha were ripe for the taking – or not.

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