China Town Bangkok

 Saturday, October 1, 2022

Front Seat Ticket to the Vegetable Festival

When we came back to Thailand, we headed to the Chinatown area because we stayed in Grand China Hotel right in the heart of the Chinatown.

Even the entry into Chinatown was so nice because we saw a long dragon on the side of the road. Because the first week of October is their Moon Festival, the streets were decorated and everything had a festive mood.

Pretty lanterns in the alleyway.

Papu and I were very tired from getting up before sunrise everyday and from all the traveling. So we decided to take a nap in the afternoon after checking into our hotel. In the evening we woke up to the sounds of fireworks and drums. I got so excited! I asked Papu if she would like to join me. She was still sleepy and she had no idea what I meant. I told her that I was going to run and be part of the festivities going on in the middle of the street and if she would like to join me. She opted to stay back. I just slipped on my shoes and ran out of the room in my pajama pants and tshirt. I did not want to miss out on the fun.

We were on the 10th floor of the hotel. When I got down and ran into the street I saw a huge mast set up on the middle of the street and a dragon was wrapped around it. Its head was high up and there were fireworks coming out of its mouth. They were all so doing fireworks behind the dragon. There were several drummers making a loud beat. 

The whole place was pulsating and felt alive. I noticed that each leg of the dragon was a person perched on top of the mast. They all managed to get down while dancing to the beat and they went into the side alley. I followed them for a while and then returned to the room, the rhythm still beating inside my veins.

We got dressed and went to the roof top bar in our hotel.

It was fun to just chill and chat. It had a 360 degree view of the charming Bangkok city.

We ordered some appetizers and enjoyed the cocktails.

Shop Till You Drop!!!

It was a Saturday and we did not know that the Chinatown featured a weekend market. All the little streets and alleys came alive with pop up stores on both sides. There were hundreds of vendors selling clothes, toys, accessories and knickknacks. The street food vendors were setting up shops in every nook and corner. This market started only after sundown. We slowly walked through looking for interesting things to buy. The rings, earrings, clips and pens were so cheap and looked very pretty. 

While we were shopping, the rain came pouring down. They set up little tents with plastic tarps and even in heavy downpour the business went on as usual. We tried some of the foods and juice but we were full soon. After shopping for a couple of hours Papu planned to get back to the hotel to sleep. I wanted to wander some more. I can always sleep when I get home. When I travel I want to take it all in!

I was out past 3 am and the market showed no sign of slowing down. There were a huge crowd browsing the wares and they all seemed fresh and happy. Even kids were up and about at that time I got a coconut milk shake and walked around to my heart's content. I bought some costume jewelry, rubik's cube, phone stand, handbags and other little things. 

Then I came back to the hotel for a quick power nap. Joker, my Thailand guide, was supposed to pick me up at 6 am for a packed day of sightseeing in the morning.